Hello, my name is Hen-Er, Hiccup!
by ShadowLord563
Summary: When you live life as an average guy, things tend to get boring. When you live life as an average guy and get hit by a car, you tend to regret your choices. When you get reborn in a supposedly fictional world as the son of the chief, things tend to get weird. Like, Really weird. Enter Henry H. Haddock's life. But, please, call him Hiccup. Everyone does. Well, in this new life.
1. Through nonsensical reasons

_For as long as science has existed, there have been formulated theories. However, due to the fact that there are too many to list, and since there are only two story relevant scientific theories, they shall be talked about. The First relevant scientific theory to be talked about is the concept of **Time Travel**. You know, travel to a certain point in time that had already happened before, or in a point of time that has yet to happen. It's a very Finnicky concept, whit people all across the world claiming and denying proof of its existence and possibility. Either way, it's a very interesting basis for science fiction. Back to the Future was one of those fictions._

 _Now, let's move on to the second theory. **The Multiverse Theory** , which states that there's an infinite amount of universes. There are some who only have minor differences, such as a universe where you drank coffee while there's another where you drank milk instead, and then there are the ones with major differences. Like a world where Spiderman existed or something. Marvel Comics created a lot of universes, if the theory is of any indication. Anyway, there are stories out there_ _) that use this theory as an explanation as to how things are happening. The very confusing ones, actually._

 _One might be wandering: **"Why is this being talked about?"**. Do not worry, it is __understandable. You shall be informed shortly. You see, the possibility of either one of these happening to a person is, at best, the most lowest of statistical numbers. With zero being the whole number and the decimals lined with dozens upon dozens of zeros with the number one at the end of the decimal line. In short, Highly impossible. And so, by that logic, there should be **no way** that both concepts occuring to one single, and most notably, unimpressive person right?_

 _Well, as you can you can already probably guess, through an inexplicable, unexplainable, unexpected, unknowable, and a bunch of other synonymous words, it did happen to one single, and unimpressive, person that goes by the name of Henry H. Haddock... You know where this is going now, don't you?_

 _Now a question: Have you ever wandered just **why** Hiccup from the HTTYD movie franchise acted so differently from the rest?_

* * *

Henry lived a very normal life. He has a part time job, a house with a loving family, a girlfriend, some friends, and a pet cat that he nicknamed Toothless(Probably to spite the cat for scratching him the first time they met). It was uninteresting, but it was efficient. Henry liked efficiency. Much more secure that way.

Yep, totally normal.

So... Why does everything in his body hurt like hell? Henry had just finished all the workload he was given and was just about to visit the nearest fast food restaurant. He was thinking about what he was about to eat, before suddenly...

A bright flash of light and the sound of screeching tires. Then... Darkness.

He was woken up by the sound of a heart monitor beeping and the slight weight that was on his chest. He was in a hospital, Henry concluded, and the weight on his chest was his girlfriend, Ashley. She was asleep, although it seemed like she had been crying. He moved his head, completely slow as to not hurt himself even more with the headache he was having, and saw a bouquet of flowers and a _"get well"_ card. His mouth was covered by that... Life support thingy. His head throbbed with pain as he tried to remember what it was called.

Ashley stirred, her eyes fluttering open. She looked at him. "Hey there, stupid." She greeted as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. Henry could only let out a moan.

Ashley shushed him. "Don't talk. The doctors said you have multiple internal injuries. It's a miracle you even woke up."

Henry grew quiet. Ashley gently gave him a peck on the cheek. "I'll tell the doctors, alright? Wait here." She said, then left the room.

 _'I'm sorry, Ashley.'_ Henry sadly thought. The reason why he grew quiet was, not because she told him to, but because he could feel himself slipping away from consciousness. For good this time, it seems. _'If only I had enough time...'_

The heart monitor suddenly started slowing down.

 _'To tell you...'_

 ***Beep*... *Beep*... *Beep***

 _'That I...'_

 ***Beep*... *Beep*...**

 _'Love you...'_

The heart monitor then let out a loud mechanical scream as the signs of his heart beat displayed a straight line.

Henry H. Haddock was dead.

* * *

 _?_

 _'If this is what being dead feels like, then I don't like it.'_ Was the single thought Henry had as he... Floated? Drifted? Whatever, in the void. Yep, a void. Nothing but inky darkness as far as he can see. Heck, he can't even see his own hands!

 _'Great... This is such a wonderous experience. I always wanted to float in a void.'_ Henry though sarcastically.

What he does know at least is that he can still feel. Wherever he is, it was cramp, a bit humid, and... Weird. Just plane weird.

 _'Okay, something's not right.'_ Henry concluded. He tried to will his 'body' to move but he could not even budge. _'What's going on?!'_

Suddenly, he felt his body getting... pulled? A voice can be heard but he can't seem to make it out. After a few seconds, the voice became clearer, albeit hard to understand. _"Come... Val... Do...!"_

He then heard what sounded like a loud and pained cry. The kind of sound that... Usually...

 _'Oh no... Please don't tell me...'_ Henry despaired as the possible answer for wherever he was appeared in his head.

 _"Come... Couple... Push!"_ The voice became clearer. Henry realized it as a man's voice. A very loud man.

 _'Nonononononono, Ewewewewewewewewewew!'_ Henry was internally panicking in disgust as the answer soon became even more possible as legs felt the cool touch of air. If he wasn't panicking right now, he would've questioned why his feet felt so small.

 _"That's it! One more, Val!"_ The words, though very much clearer, were still lost to him. He couldn't understand them!

Soon, his entire body felt the same sensation of the air. He opened his eyes but quickly closed it them. _'Gah! Light, why?!'_ He mentally cursed as the intense brightness had temporarily blinded him.

 _"Is that it? I don't think this one's gonna make it, chief."_ A voice spoke out.

 _"No! He'll make it! He's my son! He's strong!"_ Replied the same loud voice from before. More voices joined in, however only in murmurs. To Henry, they might as well be nonsensical gibberish.

Henry then willed his eyes to open once more. What he saw, however, will be forever engraved in his mind. In front of him was a big and burly man with the largest of muscles he's ever seen that wasn't from steroids or photoshopped. _'And I thought dad was muscled.'_ Henry thought, his eyes staring into the man's own. Somehow... The man looked familiar. It probably had something to do with those strange clothes they were wearing. Reminds of him Vikings.

 _"M... May I see him?"_ Another voice, this one that of a woman, meekly requested. Henry then felt himself being delicately handled and being carried. His view was then replaced with a woman with green eyes. This one also seemed familiar to him. She looked like she just went through childbirth... Oh wait, she did.

 _"Oh, he's beautiful!"_ Gushed the woman, taking Henry from the pair of hands that held him and gently held him while rocking him. He stared into the eyes of this foreign woman. She _really_ looked oddly familiar.

 _'Wait...'_ Henry took this time to turn his head and looked at the man from before, and then back into the woman. His eyes widened in realization as he found out just _why_ they all looked so familiar. _'Stoick the Vast?!_ _Valka?!'_

Indeed! For they were the same parents of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock(Strange coincidence, he knows) from the movie, _**How To Train Your Dragon**_!

 _'What is happening?!'_ Henry's thought was verbally delivered by the sound of his cries. Baby cries.

* * *

 **A/n: Hello again, dear readers! ShadowLord563 here presenting you a new series! I'll probably change the title once I found a better sounding one. Anyway, this one's experimental and just popped into my head some time ago. It sounded mind boggling and superb in my head as I thought about it. I mean, why shouldn't I dabble in the blasphemous of things and _explain_ why Hiccup acts like... Well, Hiccup! I'm not good with names so I chose the most common name that Hiccup is called in the Modern AUs. The ****coincidental-ness of things are on purpose. Anyway, let me know what you guys think and I'll see you in the next update!**


	2. Pain of loss should be impossible right?

Henry H. Haddock was known as a very calm person. Sure, push a few certain buttons and he quickly loses it, but otherwise still a calm person. Under normal circumstances, he would remain calm on most situations.

These were _not_ Normal circumstances.

As the event and procedures of his birth, or rebirth in his case, came to a close, he had panicked. Well, more like cry since that's the only way he could show distress as a baby. Then, Valka, Hiccup's mother, managed to calm him down due to her soothing voice and gentle rocking. He shook his head. No, that wasn't the reason. He just needed to calm down so that he could assess the situation he's in. Totally not his new mother's attempts. Nope... Moving on!

 _'Let's see...'_ Henry, or Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III as he had been _ruefully_ named, pondered. He died, he remembered that much, then, through some unknown power, he was reborn as Hiccup, the main protagonist of the movie _How To Train Your Dragon_ , and heir to the Hairy Hooligan Tribe, and now he's here. Lying in a cradle, looking around at every little thing. Of course, he _had_ thought that this could be all a coma induced dream. But then he realized that he couldn't do anything about that either way. If this was a coma induced dream, he wouldn't know jack-shit about waking up. All his family had to do was pull the plug anyway, and he'll peacefully die. Or, if this _was_ real(seemed plausible because he was never this lucid of a dreamer) then... Here he is. Not much he could do about it. Sure, he worried for his actual family but... His mother always did say that worrying about something that's out of your hands will just give you a headache.

 _'Oh well, All I have to do is to get through the shit-storm that's Hiccup's life and I'll probably die again at some point in my new life then I can have my peace.'_ Henry thought(dying can change a person you know). But then, a small smile formed on his lips as another thought crossed his mind. _'Doesn't mean I could, oh I don't know, change a few things.'_

Let it be known that Henry was a very curious, and a bit Innovative, person.

* * *

 _Months Later_

 _'I'm bored.'_

As a baby, you can't really do a lot of things. As a baby with the mind of a young adult who can't understand a word their parents are saying, you could do less than being just a baby and things start to get boring real fast. He had tried using his vocal chords to produce some words but was unsuccessful due to his lack of teeth, among other things. And so, the newly reincarnated Henry could do nothing more than observe. Those few months were filled with nothing but cooing and being carried around, mainly by his mother.

Boy, did he wish he could understand them...

 _'It doesn't matter though.'_ Henry thought to himself as he watched the interaction between his new parents. _'Once I'm old enough, I'll be able to talk.'_

He was hoping that, as a baby, he could eventually pick up on what they're saying. It'll be like a second language to him. His thoughts were then abruptly interrupted when his father, Stoick, came towards him and gazed at his small form. He saw Stoick sigh in an almost melancholic way and left just as quickly as he came. _'Just you wait. When I grow up, you'll be proud of me, Stoick.'_ Henry proclaimed in his thoughts. Of course, he's not gonna rely much on his stored knowledge about the movies and cartoon series. Such information is useless until his fourteenth year at Berk, assuming he lives that long.

Suddenly, loud sounds came from outside. It sounded like explosions. _'Dragon raids.'_ Henry thought with fear. He then noticed Stoick grab an axe and shouted something to Valka, who wore a grim expression on her face. Both Vikings(Well, a chief and a dragon sympathizer to be specific) then left the house, leaving little Henry/Hiccup alone in the house. The newly reincarnated Henry, however, had a panic attack for a few minutes. _'What if dragons came here?! What if they roast me alive?! What if they think I'm food and take me to the Red Death! I won't even live to see my second birthday! What if-!'_

Henry shook his little head. _'No. If I'm lucky, this was the same raid where Cloudjump-?!'_ His thoughts were interrupted by something crashing through the roof. Speak of the Devil and he shall appear as they say in some places.

 **"What's this? A little hatchling left all alone?"** The Stormcutter dragon wondered out loud, steppimg towards Henry's cradle.

 _'Who you ca-?!'_ Henry cut himself midway from his thoughts as his brain started processing the words he had just heard. _'Wait, I understood that!'_

 **"Aw~! He looks so cute!"** The dragon cooed as he loomed above his little form, its eyes taking on a more calmer look. Like a cat that's comfortable with your presence.

 _'I'd reprimand you for that, but I'm not really capable of doing that. Also because I fucking understood what you just said!'_ Henry yelled in his thoughts.

 **"Who's a good hatchling? You are! Yes, you are!"** The dragon playfully cooed, laying a claw on Henry's baby chin.

 _'Watch the claw! You gave Hiccup his scar with that!'_ Henry was trying to move his chin away from the claw without offend-

 **"Who's there?!"** The dragon suddenly roared, turning around _and_ cutting the little Henry in the chin.

 _'Goddamn it, that's what I was afraid of!'_ Henry cried, both mentally and literally. Out of the corner of his tear-filled eyes, he saw Valka being cornered by the Stormcutter. _'Oh... It's time, huh?'_ Henry though offhandedly. It was inevitable. Hiccup's mother will get taken away and then Stoick will be left alone to care for him for the next twenty years of the boy's life. However, a tiny part of him was worried, frightened even, for his new mother. Henry doesn't understand why. Valka wasn't his mother, she was Hiccup's, but... Perhaps a tiny bit of Hiccup had remained, influencing his technically mature mind. He knew he, a little babe, couldn't do anything to change this, but the _tiny_ baby Hiccup side of his new form cried out in his mind. His mouth quivered, a single word struggling to come out. "Sh..." He stuttered with the word as he used his limbs to position himself on a more noticeable angle. Mainly at the edge of his crib, holding on to it with his hands to stabilize himself.

The dragon grew closer to Valka as the woman backed away and dropped the sword she was holding.

"Shhhhoooop..." Henry drawled, mentally cursing himself for his inability.

Closer and closer, The dragon has cornered Valka to a wall...

 _ **"Shhhhhooooooppp!"**_ Henry screamed the butchered words through his mouth. It was the best he could within this form.

The scream had stopped both Valka and the dragon's movements and had turned their heads towards his cradle. Valka didn't understand what Henry had screamed, only taking it as a cry of distress. The later-to-be-named-Cloudjumper, however, did. **"Did you just-?!"**

An axe suddenly found its way between Valka and the dragon. It was Stoick! **"Human!"** Cloudjumper screeched, launching a fireball at Stoick who immediately dodged.

 _"No, don't!"_ Valka commanded the dragon to stop as she grasped onto the sides of the dragon. The Stormcutter did stop. He turned his head towards Valka and stared at her, finding once more that something he had saw within her eyes.

 _"Hold on!"_ Stoick hollered, before barrel rolling through the fire and grabbing Henry from his cradle. However, by the time he had Henry safely into his arms and retrieving his axe, the dragon had already took off with Valka in tow.

 _"No! Stoick!"_ Valka screamed as she had been carried off by the Stormcutter.

 _"Valka!"_ Stoick yelled as he could only stare as the dragon took his wife. _"Valka..."_ He mumbled, dropping into his knees. Henry stared, his eyes becoming wet from the tears. He didn't understood what his parents were screaming, but he already knew enough to understood what had transpired. In truth, he shouldn't be crying. He knew this would happen. And yet...

 _'Damn it... So this is what it feels like to lose a parent, huh?'_ And so, on this night, did Henry knew what loss actually felt. No amount of knowledge could stop that aching feeling in his little chest. _'Guess this isn't gonna be as easy as I thought, huh, Hiccup?'_

Truthfully, he wasn't expecting an actual response in his head and he didn't get one, but he did imagine a mental image of Hiccup saying, "You think?"

* * *

 **A/n: Man, this chapter was awkward to write. I mean, I didn't get the emotion right. The understanding dragons thing? Totally intentional, makes things more interesting. For me, at least. I'm already messing with the impossible, might as well go to the brim of impossibility or what's-the-word. And the butchered words that a baby couldn't say even if they wanted to? He** _ **does**_ **retain his memories of his previous life so... Why not? Anyway, here's the second chapter for this story! It was a bit hastily done but I'm trying my best... Anyway, Hope you liked it! Don't worry, this is probably just a Hiccup in this story... Hehe... "Hiccup".**


	3. Gobber is a pain, and Meeting Astrid

_Five years after Hiccup's birth_

Stoick the Vast, oh hear his Name and Tremble ugh, ugh, is the Chieftain of the Hairy Hooligan Tribe. Everyone knows that. Everyone also knows that he is a mighty man, both in physical appearance and physical strength. Really, try arm-wrestling him and see what happens. Why do you think he got _'The Vast, oh hear his name and tremble ugh, ugh'_ in his name? He is the prime example of a Viking, no, a **Chief** of Vikings. Strong, Mighty, Strategic, Selfless, Unyielding, and even diplomatic at times. Not many Vikings can claim to be all at once, especially the last one. But one thing he isn't good at is, to be specific, being a father to his only child, Hiccup.

"I just don't know what to do with him, Gobber."

"Ah, don't get your knickers in a twist, Stoick. He'll grow out of it, I tell you."

Don't get him wrong. Hiccup is far from useless. Except on the whole _'Being a Viking'_ business but still! It's just that he expected something more from Hiccup. Like his cousin, Snotlout. Stoick could sense the build of a decent Viking in the young Jorgenson. Hiccup is... Well, a Hiccup. The boy is just so... _small._ So fragile-looking and so weak. It wasn't an opinion, it was fact. Boys of his age could usually lift a hammer with two hands. Hiccup couldn't do that. The boy fumbled over it, unable to lift the hammer Stoick had told to the boy to lift from the ground. It was like trying to watch an unworthy mortal trying to lift Thor's hammer.

"Anyway, you know I could use a little help around the forge. Maybe that'll toughen him up for you." Gobber offered. Stoick sighed, and nodded his head in acceptance. Maybe helping Gobber around _could_ help him get some needed strength. Because, as of now, Hiccup was as fragile as a twig. Though if Valka was still around... Stoick shuddered at the implications. It was one thing to fight a dragon, it was another to earn a woman's ire. Especially Valka's. But, hopefully, she'll understand the reasons behind this in Valhalla. Who knows? It could work.

"Hiccup!" Stoick called out to his son, who was probably taking a _Meditation Session_ as the boy called it. Honestly, who was the boy trying to fool? Certainly not anyone who was smart enough to translate those two words into one simple word: Sleeping.

Sure enough, a yawn came from Hiccup's room. They then heard strange mumbling from the same place as well. Another peculiar thing about the boy, he mumbles to himself half of the time. Actually, Gobber thought it was too organized to be just nonsensical mumbling. When asked about it, Hiccup would just shrug. Anyway, The two adults waited for a few second before Hiccup finally climbed down the stairs. "What is it?" The boy asked as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. You know, for a five year old boy, he was surprisingly intelligent. The tutors had remarked that. All the words that came out of their mouths, the boy had ravenously absorbed it all like a dry sponge in water. Or a _very_ hungry Viking in front of a feast. By the time he was three and a half, he had managed to almost speak in full sentences. It continued to grow from there too.

This was because, in Henry's previous life, he had... Tried to study Norse speech before. Don't judge! He loved _'How To Train Your Dragon'_ so much that he would re-watch the two movies and cartoon series and catch up on the latest episode! Anyway, back to the story!

"Hiccup, Gobber and I made a decision. Starting tomorrow, you're going to be his apprentice." Stoick stated while Gobber nodded.

"Better sleep well tonight, Hiccup! You're gonna need it!" Gobber told the boy.

Hiccup blinked at them, his eyes filled with confusion and surprise. "Me, a five year old boy? At the forge?" He inquired, pointing at himself.

"Yes, son. It's to-" Stoick was cut off with Hiccup.

"To toughen me up, right?" Hiccup finished for Stoick, surprising both adults at his intuitiveness. "You know, I _do_ have ears that can hear just fine." He added with a shrug.

"Son, you know I-"

"I know, I know, dad. A chief's heir mustn't look like-" Hiccup gestured to himself, almost mockingly. "- _This._ It's bad for public image after all." He finished as he crossed his arms. "Well, since such a decision was already made without my consent, I'll be taking a nap in preparation for whatever painful tasks I have to endure for tomorrow now." The boy added as he went back upstairs.

Silence ruled over the two adults, unable to make a reaction for the boy's behavior. It was another thing about that boy. If it was Stoick or Gobber, the boy could almost see through them.

"I see what you mean, Stoick." Gobber stated after a long bout of silence. Stoick only nodded but-

"He's perfect! With an attitude like that, I'll never get bored with him!" Gobber laughed as he went out the door. Stoick could only sigh. That wasn't what he meant... Stupid half-limb man. Stoick then turned his head to stare at the fire pit before him, contemplating once more about his son.

Now, Stoick wasn't _that_ much of a meathead when it comes to parenting. He knew Hiccup was special. Just... Not the kind of special he was looking for, that's all. The boy was smart, and, as a chief, you don't always have to be the strongest there is. If that was the case, there wouldn't be peaceful times in between dragon raids and Chief gatherings in the first place. Hiccup has the brains down, but the strength part was... Lacking.

And as the Chief's son, that was unacceptable to most Vikings.

* * *

 _Tomorrow, At the Forge_

"Well! Glad you didn't made a run for it!" Gobber greeted Hiccup as soon as the boy stepped into the forge. He then held out a blacksmith apron for Hiccup to wear. Safety may be overrated with Gobber, but he wasn't about to endanger his own safety if Stoick found out Hiccup was even remotely injured working around here.

Hiccup snorted and crossed his arms. "You know, even though I had accepted this, I still don't know just _what_ went through your heads when you thought about this. I mean, I'm a five year old boy, and now I'm going to be surrounded with molten steel and razor sharp blades. What could _possibly_ go wrong?" The boy sarcastically remarked as he took the apron from Gobber's hand and put it on himself. It seemed to be made for his size specifically. "So... What now?" He asked, although he has a feeling he's gonna regret ever asking.

"Now? Hold this." Gobber handed him a hammer. Hiccup was surprised by the action, but managed to catch the object with his hand which resulted in him falling to the ground. Gobber chuckled at the boy's misfortune. For Gobber, this was gonna be fun. For Hiccup, it's gonna be another torture in his hellish new life.

I won't bore you with the details, so I'll summarize it for you. Gobber worked Hiccup like a slave(At least, in the boy's perspective) and Hiccup cursed Gobber with every profanity he could think of in his modern English language. Gobber, of course, didn't understood it but at least understood the tone in the boy's voice. The blacksmith merely chuckled in response, much to Hiccup's irritation. The boy spent the next several hours running around the forge, carrying heavy(in his circumstance) objects and a bunch of other tasks that ranged from _'easy enough'_ to _'you're kidding me'_.

Anyway, back to normal perspective. Hiccup isn't liking his current condition. He was sweaty, his body temperature feels like he's having a bad fever, his arms feel like freshly boiled noodles while his legs felt like jelly, his brain feels like its running on overdrive just to keep him standing, his heart was beating wildly in his chest, his back hurts, and his eyes are sore from all the smoke. _'It'll all be worth it, Henry. Just hold out for... Oh, I don't know, as long as it takes for you to get used to this.'_ The boy repeated that thought in his head over and over as he performed his tasks. On the bright side, he's taking in all of Gobber's lessons for future reference quicker than he had anticipated.

"Hiccup! Get over here!" Gobber bellowed.

"Coming, Gobber." Hiccup sighed, lumbering towards the direction of the one-legged and one-handed blacksmith. Once he reached Gobber who had just finished hammering a recently heated sword. "Hiccup! Cool this down, will you?!" The man ordered, holding out the _very_ hot sword to the boy.

"I dunno', Gobber. Shouldn't I be just, you know, cleaning or something?" Truthfully, Henry doesn't really know how apprenticeship works, but he was _pretty_ sure you don't hand a very hot sword to a five year old boy. But then again... This _is_ Gobber. He then put on the thick gloves over his hands just in case Gobber would unceremoniously drop it into his hands.

In fact, he did. _"Oof!"_ Hiccup yelped, the weight of the sword pulling down his small arms.

"Ah, don't be silly! This one should be just about enough for children to carry." Gobber retorted as Hiccup hurried over the pot of water.

" _Clearly_ not for all children in general!" Hiccup yelled back, plunging the sword deep in the water to cool the metal off.

"You'll get used to it, lad!" Gobber assured the boy, although it was hardly assuring.

"Gobber, can I _please_ take a break? We've been at this for hours!" Hiccup pleaded, about to collapse from exhaustion.

"The only time a Viking takes a break is to die!" Gobber replied, but then paused a bit to look at the tired boy. "... Alright, one hour and you'll come back!" Gobber finally granted Hiccup's most desired request as of now.

Hiccup instantly shot up with energy, "Yes!", but then quickly dropped down to the ground. "Ow..." The boy moaned, the exhaustion finally catching up to him. He spent exactly... Twenty seconds sitting on the ground before standing back up and dashing out of the forge.

"Remember! One hour, then it's back to work with you!" Gobber shouted.

Hiccup didn't reply to that. Actually, he was more preoccupied with the thought about just how does anyone could tell the time around here. There were no clocks around here, so how would one know what's the time other than Day, Noon, and Night? The boy shook his head, putting away the issue later. Now, another thing to ponder, his ability to _understand_ dragons. Even as a baby, he understood what Cloudjumper had been saying to him. That is _not_ something that Hiccup has. Only the Hiccup from the Book-verse knew how to talk to dragons, and that was because he learned _how_ to do so. Henry didn't. He just somehow did it. Of course, like any fantasy lover who especially likes understanding what the creatures of the story are saying, he won't complain. It'd be a pain in the ass to just go around playing the guessing game with every dragon.

Anyway, thoughts aside, Hiccup then suddenly-

 ***BUMP!*** ** _"Ow!"_**

He then crashed into someone else, knocking both kids to the ground. Hiccup rubbed his head and said, "Hey, watch where you're-?!", but paused when he saw who he had bumped into. It was Astrid. A five year old Astrid. It was hard to mistake that blond hair and face. "-Going..." He dumbly finished.

The girl looked at him in shock. After five seconds, she suddenly stood up and ran away, going in the direction of the forest. "Hey, wait!" Hiccup shouted, going after her.

* * *

 _At the Forest_

It took awhile. The girl was surprisingly fast, as Hiccup found out. He found her huddled behind a large boulder, sniffles could be heard emanating from the girl. "You okay?" Hiccup asked the girl but then mentally slapped himself. _'Of course she isn't, you dumb shit.'_

Astrid lifted her head and looked at Hiccup with surprise. "H-how did you find me here?" She asked, turning her head away.

Hiccup blinked. "I followed you here, of course. It'd be rude of me to leave a girl such as yourself crying." He replied. Oh, one thing you guys should know about Henry. He's a real Gentlemen. Even if he... Doesn't know it himself. You know, he's _that_ kind of guy sometimes.

Astrid sniffled and wiped the tears away. "I... I'm fine." She told the boy. Of course, anyone can tell she's lying.

Hiccup rolled his eyes. "Yeah, and I'm Thor." He replied sarcastically. "Look, maybe I could help you." He offered, holding out a hand to the girl.

Astrid stared at his hand a bit before just standing up herself. "I can help myself." She said.

Hiccup retracted his hand. "Of course you can... Just checking." He chuckled.

Astrid looked away. "I... I shouldn't be talking to you." She stated.

Hiccup crossed his arms. "Oh? Let me guess, you shouldn't be talking to the runt." He replied.

"No..." Astrid answered, still not turning to face him.

"I get it, I get it. I'm a runt. I'll just make this quick." Hiccup then grabbed Astrid by the shoulders and quickly turned her around to face him. The girl made an, "Eep!", sound as he did so. "Listen, I wanna help you, and I'm not taking no for an answer." He told the girl, staring her in the eyes.

"I...! I...!" Astrid choked on her words, unable to form them properly. She was a bit unnerved by the stare Hiccup was giving her. She merely sniffled as more tears dropped from her eyes.

Seeing this, Hiccup's eyes softened and released Astrid. "Sorry. Got a bit forceful there." He chuckled sheepishly. "Anyway, look, I'm probably not the best guy there is to talk about your problems, but I can't just leave you here like this." He said to the girl who wiped the tears away from her eyes once more.

Astrid turned away. "... It's my dad." She whispered, but it was enough for Hiccup to hear.

"Ah..." Hiccup nodded. "Let me guess, you heard the _'I wish my daughter was a boy'_ statement." He guessed. This was probably the reason why she was so _hardcore_ , as some people say, in the first movie. Family problems got in the way and she grew distant to others. She had to prove herself to her family, after all.

"Uh-huh..." Astrid nodded, although she was surprised at how quick the boy had guessed her problems.

Hiccup sighed. "Look, I'm not gonna pretend I know what you're going through. Well, actually, considering my unique status, I might as well be born a girl..." Hiccup mentally slapped himself as he got a bit off topic. "Anyway, don't let your father dictate what you are." He then placed a hand on Astrid's shoulder. "If you do, it'll limit what you can be. So what if you're a girl? Odin _must've_ made you into a girl for a reason. If anything, it's your father who's wrong. If you just believe in yourself, you can be greater than what people think you are." He was really just reciting the lines he had memorized from movies, cartoons, anime, and novels he had seen.

It seemed to work as Astrid's face seem to light up. "Really? You think so?" She asked the boy, her eyes twinkling a bit. And she kind of... Looked _cute_ with that face.

Hiccup smirked. "I _know_ so, my dear." He replied confidently. Of course he would know. She turned out as a great character in the series, after all.

"Thanks. I kind of feel better now." Astrid said but then she remembered she didn't even gave the boy her name. "I'm... I'm Astrid." She stated.

Hiccup nodded. "Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III is the name. Don't wear it out." He made a mock bow, smirking as he did so. Astrid giggled a bit. _Fuck, that's cute.'_ Hiccup thought.

"Hiccup? What kind of name is that?" Astrid laughed but then covered her mouth. "S-sorry..." She mumbled.

"No, no!" Hiccup waved his hands. "Totally understandable! I mean, really, Hiccup? Who does that, am I right?" He chuckled, and Astrid resumed giggling.

This was gonna be the start of a good friendship, Henry could tell.

* * *

 _Later_

Apparently, Hiccup had spent too much time talking with Astrid that he passed the one hour break Gobber had given him, and so, he had to _double_ his work effort the moment he got back. _'Never have I been worked like this in my entire two lives.'_ Hiccup groaned, opening the door to his home. There, he saw his father sitting by the fire pit. "Hey, dad." He greeted casually.

Stoick turned around and saw his son. "Oh, hello, son. How was your first day at the forge?" Stoick asked, rather interested to see whatever results his son has made.

"Imagine a full day of non-stop work while you were still recovering from a night of drinking whatever heavy beverages you have." Hiccup answered, giving Stoick a deadpan look.

Stoick flinched a bit at his son's reply. How could he know what _those_ were? He's five years old! "Ah, Er, Well, you'll get used to it, son." He told the boy.

Hiccup yawned. "Anyway, I'm tired. You probably are too, dad. I'm gonna go to my room." He stated then climbed up the stairs, but then he paused midway. "Hey, dad?"

"Yes, son?"

"Gobber told me, as an interesting little fact, that the helmet you're wearing is half of my mom's breastplate and I was wondering..."

Stoick coughed. "Y-you were wondering?"

"How big were they?"

Hiccup never knew until now that Stoick could look so flustered and be reduced into a sputtering mess, and Stoick? Well, he made a mental note to _talk_ to his friend about a few things.

Hiccup smirked but didn't let the man see it. _'Good luck, Gobber. You're gonna need it.'_

* * *

 **A/n: I always wanted to ask that. It bugged me for a while, actually. Anyway, sorry for the last chapter, must've gotten distracted and didn't notice. I truly apologize for it. As an apology, here's a longer chapter! Also, I require your assistance! I've been making up a few ideas in this story but it's hard to make them come to fruition with my admittedly short sighted story outlines. I would greatly appreciate it if you could PM me and give some** **advice/ideas for me. It's not really necessary, but I would be really grateful if you could spare some time to help me! Anyway, see you in the next update!**


	4. The Twins, Dragon Raid, and Endeavor

_Six years after Hiccup's Birth,_

Henry H. Haddock was known as an initiative person. While it _is_ a good trait to have, some people would say that he was just _too_ initiative. Henry prided himself as a guy who considers at least two possibilities in every decision he makes, and makes Contingency plans for each of them. One time, he was looking for a mechanics job but he had kept the possibility that he might not find one so he had created a teacher's resume, a technician resume, and an engineer resume, among other plans should he be unable to find one. He did, of course. But he kept the others just in case.

So it was no surprise when a six year old Henry, _'Hiccup.'_ he chided himself, was sitting in front of his room's table and had already drawn the concept map for his _'Bola Launcher'_ and Toothless' new tail fin. They were no different than the drawings, mind you. He didn't have enough knowledge to draw even a crude blueprint for these inventions and, even if he does, he doesn't have the strength to even get started but he'll get there. Eventually. Anyway, the auburn haired boy then got up from his chair and stretched his arms.

"Man, I need to get some exercise." Hiccup told himself as he climbed down the stairs. Stoick, his father, was out doing his Chief duties so he was alone in the house. He then walked towards the door, reaching out a hand to push it open, but then stopped as he noticed that the door was slightly opened. Not nearly noticeable but it was there. "Yeah, I learned my lesson this time, you mutton-heads." He muttered and kicked the door open, causing a bucket that was suspended on top of the door to fall and spill its contents, which mainly consisted of fish with a bit of water, to the ground. The auburn haired boy then heard quiet snickering, followed by soft murmurs.

"Come on out, you two." Hiccup called out the _way-too-obvious_ culprits. "You've worn out that particular prank since the ninth time you've used it on me." He stated, crossing his arms.

Silence.

"Uh... We didn't do it." A male voice replied.

"Idiot!" ***Smack***

"Ow!"

Hiccup rolled his eyes. "Thorston twins. How _nice_ of you to humble me with your presence." He greeted sarcastically. "Now come out. Wouldn't want the Chief to know who left water and fish all over the porch of his house now, don't we?"

Five seconds passed until Tuffnut Thorston and Ruffnut Thorston emerged from the right side of the Haddock house. They were wearing those _"I'm not guilty"_ faces as they looked at the unamused Hiccup whose arms are crossed together.

"Uh... Just so you know..." Tuffnut started then pointed at his twin sister. "It was her idea!"

"What?! You were the one who said we should prank him!" Ruffnut protested, hitting her brother in the head once more.

"Yeah, but you were the one who said we should use the bucket prank again!" Tuffnut pointed out, earning another fist to the head once again.

A fight was going to break out between the two until Hiccup shouted, _"Enough!"_ , which surprisingly got both twins to stop. He glared at them and said, "You guys are going to help me clean this up.", gesturing at the scattered fish on the ground.

The twins looked at him like he grew a second head. _**"No way!"**_ Both of the twins shouted in unison.

Hiccup shrugged. "Have it your way then. I was just about to tell you this new and _hilarious_ prank that I just thought of. But, alas, I see you are not interested in it." He replied with an almost wistful tone. He turned around and sighed sadly for the dramatic effect.

The twins were _very_ tempted. "So... If we help you, you'll tell us this new prank you thought of?" Tuffnut asked.

Hiccup smirked but didn't let the twins see it. He knew these two wouldn't pass up a good prank, even if it came from him. "Of course. But _only_ if you help me clean this up." He said, gesturing on the scattered fishes.

The twins contemplated about it for a bit. " _... Okay._ " The twins sighed as they started getting to work.

Hiccup grinned. Though the purpose was to get the twins to help, he was a man of his word. Besides, what's the worst that could happen? "Have you guys ever heard of the warm water prank?"

Thus, Hiccup became sure he was the person to invent the warm water prank in this new life of his. And the first shaving cream prank, except with Fish grease instead of shaving cream.

* * *

 _At near Sunrise_

Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III(Or Henry, whichever you prefer) was having a very peaceful nap, having dreams of flying in the air with his future dragon friend, Toothless, until-

 ***KA-BOOM!***

An explosion erupted from outside, causing the six year old boy to snap his eyes open, yelp in surprise, and fall out of his bed and into the wooden floor. "Okay... What now?" The boy yawned, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He climbed down the stairs and made his way towards the door. He opened the door...

And immediately closed it right before a Monstrous Nightmare could burn him alive with its fire blast. The door caught on fire(No surprise there), but at least he wasn't.

"If I didn't know better, I'd scream right now." Hiccup mumbled as he ran around the house to search for a bucket of water. He managed to find one and then tossed its contents to the flaming door. He breathed a sigh of relief before slowly opening it. Once he saw that the dragon had left, he went outside. He looked up to see that the roof of his house was on fire...

 _"Fuck me."_ Hiccup hissed in his modern English language as his legs immediately started running, his destination set to the forge. "Good thing I grabbed this with me." He muttered, referring to the hidden eel he had stored in his fur vest. He nabbed this from Bucket and Mulch when they weren't looking. The boy passed several running Vikings who were carrying around their weapons to fight. He then bumped into the last person he _so_ did not wanted to see right now.

Snotlout Jorgenson.

"Hey! Watch where you're going, Hiccup!" Snotlout yelled, getting up

"I could say the same for you." Hiccup replied, getting up as well.

Snotlout was about to retort but was cut off when a Monstrous Nightmare, whether it was the same one from before, Hiccup had no idea, landed right next to them. The Jorgenson boy screamed in fear, while Hiccup gulped nervously. The dragon snarled at them and was about to snap at the two boys with its jaws before Hiccup pushed Snotlout out of the way, effectively avoiding the snapping jaws of the dragon.

"Stay there. Don't move." Hiccup commanded his cousin.

"What?! Hiccup, are you trying to get us killed?! That's a Monstrous Nightmare!" Snotlout protested but Hiccup didn't listen.

"Easy there..." Hiccup told the dragon who was making all kinds of aggressive noises at him. The boy then slightly revealed the eel to the dragon who caught sight of it and flinched. "Sorry. But I can't have you killing either me or my cousin over there." He stated, nodding his head to his petrified and shocked cousin.

The dragon hissed at him. **"Vile human! Get that thing away from me!"**

"Leave us be." Hiccup commanded, his eyes staring into the dragon's own. "And this-" He gestured to the eel in his vest. "-Won't have to fly out."

The dragon backed away. **"Fine. You win this one, human."** It growled(Well, from what Henry could guess, it was a male) and flew away. Hiccup sighed and turned back to his cousin who was looking at him with a shocked face.

"Wha-?! How did you-?!" Snotlout couldn't form his words but Hiccup knew what they were.

"Look, as much as I'd like to tell you how I made a dragon leave, we've got a safer place to go to." Hiccup said before grabbing Snotlout by the hand and dragged him across the village. The boy was protesting and was trying to get his hand back but Hiccup, surprisingly, held on and never let go. Hiccup then saw his dad who had just slammed his hammer on the face of a Nadder, forcing the dragon to squawk in pain and fly away. Hiccup flinched a bit but calmed himself down.

"Dad!" Hiccup called out to the man. Stoick turned to look at him and Snotlout who was still trying to pry Hiccup's hand off of his own. The man was surprised to see the two of them, both because Hiccup was out in the open where dragons could attack him and that Snotlout was unable to pry Hiccup's scrawnier hands off his own hands. "Hope I didn't catch you on a bad time." The auburn haired boy joked.

Stoick looked at him, then to Snotlout, then back to Hiccup. "Just get to somewhere safe." The man told them, which Hiccup made a halfhearted salute and dragged Snotlout with him.

"Hiccup! Let go!" Snotlout yelled.

"If I do, dragons might come get you. If you stay with me, I bet the dragons won't even so much as touch us." Hiccup replied.

"How would you know?!"

"If you just shut up until we get someplace safe, I might tell you."

Hiccup never really did tell Snotlout, opting to lie instead by telling Snotlout that the dragons probably thought of him as a walking stick instead of a real Viking. Snotlout, dumb kid he is, believed it and laughed at the boy's supposed expense. Of course, in the end, it was Hiccup who had the last laugh.

* * *

 _At the forge, A few days later_

It was a nice day out at Berk. A perfect day for Hiccup to put his plan into action.

"How's it going, Gobber?"

"Going good, Hiccup. Now, are you sure you want this?"

Hiccup had requested Gobber to forge him a sword under certain specifications for his use. It was partially for self defense and partially to see if he was a left handed swordsman like the Hiccup in the books or perhaps ambidextrous like the Hiccup in the movie. He wasn't about to face the dangers of the world like the original Hiccup did. No, this time, he's gonna do it differently.

"Come now, Gobber. I'm going to try my hand on sword fighting. Isn't that what you and dad wanted?"

"I know, but are you sure you wanted the sword to look like this?"

The sword was almost exactly like the book portrayed the sword, minus the markings. Tiny, unimpressive, and just about the right size for a teenage Hiccup. But to Henry, it was perfect. Well, far from perfect since he believed in the saying _"The only perfect weapon is the one you made by your own hands."_ or something. He can't exactly remember the exact quote.

"Gobber, my specifications maybe _Un_ -Viking-like but trust me, this will work. Besides, in the future, I'll get my own flare into it."

"Alright, lad. I trust you."

"And then I'm going to name it... Endeavor."

"Alri-? Wait, you're going to name it?"

"Every cool weapon requires a cool name, Gobber. It makes them easier to remember that way."

"Okay... But why Endeavor? What's it mean?"

"No reason... It sums up my life, I suppose."

Yes. This will be his Endeavor.

* * *

 **A/n: I just piled these up to make a story for you guys. Sorry if the last part was a bit rushed. Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed this and I'll see you in the next update! Bye-bye! Oh, and if you guys still have some ideas you wanted to share, I'm all ears!**


	5. An Heir-y Bunch

_Eight years after Hiccup's birth, At the Haddock House_

"So let me get this straight..."

It had been an uneventful seventh year of Henry's new life and he had just turned eight a few months back.

"The Berserkers and Bog Burglars are visiting today..."

One thing he had learned is that some(and by some, he meant he could count them by one hand) elements of the Book-verse do exist in this world. Such as Old Wrinkly who, instead of being alive today, had passed not too long ago before his birth, Gormless The Grim(Or something) who oversaw the Book version of Hiccup's sword fighting classes, and the existence of the Bog Burglar and Meathead Tribes. However, he seldom heard of any talks about the Meatheads themselves so he had assumed they will be minor details in his new life.

"And they brought their heirs with them, and you want _me_ to keep them company." Hiccup finished as he stared at his father with an incredulous look on his face.

Stoick nodded. "Yes, son. That about sums it up." He replied as he wore the ceremonial belt for the annual peace treaty renewal. Apparently, it's that time of the year again. Normally, at times like these, Hiccup would be sleeping in his room, wandering around the forest, practicing with his sword; Endeavor, or improving his skills in the forge to bother himself with events like these.

Hiccup crossed his arms. "You know, I do wish I'd be informed of things like these beforehand." The auburn haired boy then went to grab his sword, Endeavor, which he had given a sheath to make carrying it around easier... And less risky. "I mean, it's not like I find it too troublesome, but a little heads-up would be nice."

Stoick sighed. "I'm sorry, son. Must have slipped my mind. These dragon attacks aren't getting any easier." He said as he made his way out of the house.

"Don't I know it." Hiccup mumbled as he secured his sword on the sling of his waist belt and followed Stoick outside. The dragon attacks _hadn't_ been getting any easier. Just last raid, nearly half of the fishes and sheep had been taken by dragons. Hiccup had to make sure he ate just about enough to keep his body running just so everyone else in the village could have their share. Let's just say Hiccup's respect for those homeless beggars had went up tenfold if they spent days with, at best, minimal food like this. Also, at this point, it seems the _'Legendary'_ Night Fury had now made its elusive presence known after blasting apart a catapult tower last time.

Anyway, both father and son made their way past the village and to the docks. Along the way, Hiccup had been met with the usual rabble of the villagers. Although his interest and growing proficiency in sword fighting(Apparently, he's more like the Animated Hiccup) had somewhat improved the overall treatment of the villagers towards him, there were still others(Prime example being Mildew) who resented the boy. It was irritating, in Hiccup's opinion, but he didn't bother with them. He bet, give or take a few years, he could beat them in a one-on-one fight. Two if he's feeling competitive.

"Hiccup!" A female voice called out. The auburn haired boy turned his head to see Astrid and Fishlegs running towards him.

Hiccup smiled at them. "Hello, Astrid. You too, Fishlegs." He greeted. Unlike in the original series, he made sure to keep some friends around. Who knows? Maybe his second life will get more interesting with them. Although it seems he got a head start with Astrid in the friendship part, for reasons he has yet to discern. Fishlegs was easier, all Hiccup had to do was stand up for the Ingerman boy and prove that he wasn't so _'Useless'_ as people had proclaimed him to be, and he'll stick by your side. Fairly easy process once you understand the inner workings of people like Fishlegs. Snotlout and the twins were surprisingly less of a challenge to befriend than Hiccup had anticipated. Snotlout had decided to be all friendly with Hiccup ever since he caught wind of Hiccup and Astrid being friends a few months prior.

Which, to Henry, was a bit of a letdown and he was little bit irritated at the sudden turn of events. He had an entire event all planned out just for the sake of befriending Snotlout! Mostly, it involved some _natural_ staging but the auburn haired boy was _sure_ that, if he managed to pull it off, he'd earn the Jorgenson boy's loyalty and respect. He could still pull it off on a later date, of course. But it was _really_ irritating that the sudden development had thrown a wrench in his plans.

Anyway, the twins, Tuffnut and Ruffnut, were even easier. Apparently, he had already earned the genuine respect of the two Thorstons after sharing them the _'Warm Water'_ prank and when he showed them his _'Bola Launcher'_ blueprint, which apparently sealed the deal with those two as they had accepted their simple logic that he, Hiccup, was secretly as crazy as those two are. Hiccup didn't know whether he should feel happy or insulted at those two.

Anyway, speaking of Snotlout Jorgenson...

"Hey, cousin! How's it going?!" The Jorgenson boy, who was apparently following Astrid around and showing off his _'manliness'_ (Or at least, in the future) to the Hofferson girl, greeted as he came over to Hiccup and head-locked the boy and then gave him a noogie.

"Snotlout, how nice to see you too." Hiccup replied as he tried to pry Snotlout off of him. However, it seems that Snotlout hadn't been idle with his strength as he didn't budge. "Snotlout! I don't have time for this right now!"

"Let go of him, Snotlout." Astrid told the Jorgenson boy who eagerly complied since it came from her.

"We heard that the Bog Burglars and Berserkers are coming today." Fishlegs piped up.

"You heard right. And guess who's supposed to keep their heirs company." Hiccup dryly replied. Truthfully, he was quite curious as to how different Camicazi and Dagur is at this age. Although considering what he knows about the two, they were probably a wily bunch, to put it lightly. It was a good thing it was just those two. He couldn't imagine handling more... _Unique_ individuals like them.

"Well, you better get going, Hiccup. Try not to get yourself almost killed this time." Astrid told the boy. Hiccup smiled at her, causing the Hofferson girl to stiffen a bit before relaxing her stance **(Not that Hiccup knows that, It'll be our little secret, dear readers)**.

"Yeah, yeah. Wish me luck, I suppose." Hiccup sighed and ran after his father who was a good distance ahead of him.

* * *

 _At the Docks_

The Docks were by no means impressive. A couple of ships and boats here and there, large docks for both Hooligan and outsider ships to port, and a nice view of the ocean.

"Here they come, son. Make sure they feel right at home." Stoick told Hiccup as the last of the ships finally docked.

"Shouldn't you be wishing me luck instead, dad?" Hiccup replied as the two Chieftains of the Bog Burglar and Berserker tribe came out of the ships. Hiccup took in the appearance of the two imposing figures.

Oswald was... Surprisingly less Berserk-looking than he had imagined he would look. Of course, he saw the man's concept art and his supposed actual look, but aside from what he's wearing, there were none of those on him. Although, he's definitely where Dagur inherited his looks, minus the leaner boy build of the Berserker heir, but it lacked that... Deranged air that Dagur will be known to carry around

Next was Bertha, the Bog Burglar chieftain. Now, some people had claimed that her name _"Big-Boobied Bertha"_ was probably just an exaggeration and that the book's imagery of her is unreliable due to the fact that the drawings looked like a five year old drew them. But seeing her in actual person, Hiccup could now safely say that it was _no_ exaggeration. She was big in almost every aspect, especially in the chest area. Now, if Hiccup was one of _those_ males. it would probably be arousing. However, he was not, and he was quite certain that anyone he knew in his previous life would be a fool to try to mess with those mounds of flesh.

"Stoick!" greeted Oswald as he extended a hand to Stoick as an offer for a handshake. "Been quite some time now, eh?"

"Aye, looks like you've been busy yourself." Stoick replied, accepting the Berserker chief's gesture and shook his hand. He then gestured to Hiccup. "This is my son, Hiccup. You would've seen him before but he was usually somewhere off doing things."

The two Chieftains turned their gaze to the boy. Their looks were quite identical, yet were also quite different. Oswald looked at him as if he just saw a tiny rat but had quickly masked it with indifference. Bertha, on the other hand, also looked like she just saw a tiny rat but didn't bother to hide her disdain. It was to be expected since all Bog Burglars see all Men the same way they see animals.

Hiccup scowled and crossed his arms. "If you have something in your mind, I'd _love_ to hear it." He growled. Who were they to judge him right off the bat?!

"None of that now, son." Stoick chided, laying a hand on Hiccup's shoulder to quell the boy's anger. "Why don't you go see to the other heirs, hm?"

It was then did Oswald and Bertha called out to their respective children. Hiccup could then see two figures exit the ships. One was taller than the other, Dagur, while the other was smaller, Camicazi. Actually, it seemed that Hiccup was actually taller than the Bog Burglar heir.

Dagur was basically a younger version of his riders/defenders of Berk version except his helmet wasn't present, revealing his reddish hair. He still looked crazy, albeit only slightly. He also has an axe strapped securely on his waist like he did in the series.

Camicazi was... Hiccup mentally slapped himself to cease his staring. All he could say was her face was absolutely _adorable_ (Hiccup made a mental note to recheck his definition of the word later)! She had long and blond hair and she wore a standard fur vest over a red tunic. She also seems to have her necklace from the books and has a sword that's safely secured on her waist.

Both parents then said something to their respective children that Hiccup couldn't quite hear but from the way how they looked at him, Hiccup could only guess that he'll be having a _hell_ of a time later on. Both heirs then approached Hiccup.

"Name's Dagur, heir of the Berserkers." Dagur introduced, extending his hand to Hiccup as an offer for a handshake to which Hiccup accepted. Let's just say Hiccup thought about wearing gloves next time he did so.

"I'm Camicazi!" The Bog Burglar heir greeted, pride and a bit of arrogance hidden in her voice. "Bog Burglar heir and the best in thievery there is!"

 ** _(Trouble, trouble maker, yeah that's your middle na-?!_** ***Cough!*... Back to the story!)**

Hiccup made sure to check whatever he had on him three times to make sure she hadn't stolen anything.

"Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, pleasure to meet you." Hiccup stated then bowed. The two heirs gave gave him strange looks as a response. Hiccup cleared his throat and stood straight up. "Why don't you come with me while your parents are busy with mine? I'll give you a tour around the village." He offered but didn't wait for a reply as he started walking back to the village. The two heirs stared at him before following the Hooligan heir.

* * *

 _At the Village_

"This here's the residential area. Don't let the looks fool you. They're about a couple of weeks old at best."

 ** _"Lame!"_**

Hiccup was sure he was going to lose his mind with these two. These two were nearly insufferable that, if Hiccup had less tolerance, he'd be tugging at his own hair right now. They kept separating every once in a while and Hiccup had to search for them to make sure they don't do anything stupid around the village. It was bad enough he wasn't really well-liked, it'll be even worse if these two could cause something that'll make him look bad even more.

"Then there's the market area. Don't expect-?! No, don't steal from them, Camicazi!"

Camicazi kept trying to steal something. It doesn't matter what it was, the moment Hiccup took his eyes off her, she'd go find something to steal while talking endlessly about how Men are inferior to women and just about anything she could talk about. Hiccup was sure that even Dagur was grinding his teeth in irritation the same as he is right now. It was a good thing Hiccup didn't bring anything other than his sword which the Bog Burglar heir had nearly stolen from him more times than he could count using his fingers. It was a good thing that this version of Camicazi was still developing her thieving skills but Hiccup was sure that would quickly change, give or take a couple of months.

"Next is the Armory. We keep the weapons and other battle equipment there."

"Can I see how sharp they are?" Three guesses to who asked that.

"Can Camicazi ever admit that boys are better than girls?" Hiccup asked rhetorically. Dagur actually pondered on that for a bit before realizing it was a trick question. The older boy scowled at Hiccup who ignored it.

Dagur is... Being Dagur. The older boy was simply crazy, or at least close to it. He also kept asking ridiculous questions like _"Is there a lake nearby?"_ or _"Do you wanna play Throwing Knives?"_ to which Hiccup refused each and every one. Of course, that didn't stop the Berserker heir to raise his axe and attempt a strike at Hiccup who blocked with his sword, Endeavor. It was only with his still-in-training reflexes was he able to block the attacks Dagur would occasionally make to _"Test his reflexes."_.

"And here we have the Forge where I currently work as an apprentice. It's a-?! No, Camicazi, stop trying to steal Endeavor! She didn't do anything to you!" Hiccup yelled as he yanked his sword out of the girl's grasp.

Camicazi pouted. "You're good... For a boy, that is. How do you keep noticing me?" She asked, crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes at the boy.

"And _Endeavor?_ _She?_ And I they say I'm crazy!" Dagur said before cackling like the madman he will be known as.

"First off, trade secret.-" Actually, he had a friend who always tried to sneak his wallet away from him as a way of teasing him. "-Second, every cool weapon-" The two heirs snickered at that. "-Needs an equally cool name." Hiccup told them.

"There you are, Hiccup!"

All three heirs turned their heads to see Astrid, Fishlegs, Snotlout, Tuffnut, and Ruffnut coming towards them. "Who are they?" Dagur asked, narrowing his eyes at them.

Hiccup stepped between the Berserker heir and the incoming crowd. "See them as you will, but they are most certainly _not_ people you could even remotely harm, Dagur" He growled.

Dagur blinked at Hiccup's sudden aggression towards him. He grinned. "And what, pray tell, stops me from doin-?"

Hiccup quickly drew Endeavor and pressed it at Dagur's throat. "Need I say more?" The boy inquired.

Dagur chuckled and slowly pushed the sword away from his throat. "Just checking. No need to get violent. That's usually my thing, you know."

Hiccup sheathed Endeavor back, his eyes losing their aggression as he turned to look at the others. "Guys! Where've you been? You missed our rather _delightful_ tour." He greeted to the others, though the word _'delightful'_ didn't held the same feel as its meaning.

The twins were the first to speak up. "We were trying out that new prank you told us!" Tuffnut spoke up, grinning as he did so.

Hiccup rattled his brain to recall what prank did he give them last time. "You mean... The _Bloody Freya_ prank?" He inquired. It was kind of surprising that they have a mirror around here, but it was completely worth it when he saw their faces. Absolutely _priceless._

"Yeah! The faces they make were really funny!" Ruffnut said, grinning alongside her brother.

Both Dagur and Camicazi were, understandably, confused. _"... Bloody Freya prank?"_ They both asked, confused as to why one of the Gods were being included in prank that didn't involve Loki.

"It's where someone repeats the words _'Bloody Freya'_ in front of any reflective surface, particularly a mirror, and then the pranksters-" He pointed to the twins. "-Will stealthily throw around objects randomly. The idea was that the ghost of Freya will appear and haunt you should you say those words three times." Hiccup explained to the two heirs.

 _"Ohhhhh..."_ Both Dagur and Camicazi nodded in understanding.

"Is there actually blood?" Dagur asked eagerly, a grin appearing in his face.

"If you could look like Freya and find some blood to cover yourself in, why not?" Hiccup shrugged.

"You know, cousin, I didn't really think you had it in you." Snotlout stated, laying a hand on Hiccup' shoulder. "I mean, _you,_ of all people, helping the twins in pranks?"

Astrid merely rolled her eyes. "I'd have thought you were more mature than that, Hiccup." She said then crossed her arms, lightly glaring at Hiccup.

"I-it was kind of f-funny..." Fishlegs piped up.

Dagur looked at the boy and grinned. "Hey there." He greeted the boy who gulped in fear and hid behind Astrid.

"Anyway, who's this?" Snotlout asked, gesturing to Camicazi.

"Camicazi, Bog Burglar heir." Hiccup replied.

"I can introduce myself." Camicazi stated, crossing her arms.

"Her? An heir? She looks so tiny! Smaller than Hiccup here!" Snotlout laughed, smacking Hiccup's back as he did so causing the boy to grunt a bit.

"Oh?" Camicazi smirked mischievously. "And who's missing his helmet?" She suddenly has a strikingly familiar helmet on her hand.

Snotlout blinked and stared at the helmet in Camicazi's hand dumbly. "That looks like my..." He trailed as he placed a hand on the helmet on his head... Oh wait, it wasn't there. "My helmet! Give it back!" The boy yelled, lunging towards Camicazi. Camicazi side-stepped out of the boy's way, causing Snotlout to fall to the ground. He then stood up and lunged yet again at the Bog Burglar heir, only to end up with the same result.

"Men! Always so stupid!" Camicazi proclaimed, then laughed as she dodged another lunge from Snotlout. Astrid and Ruffnut silently agreed on that.

However, Camicazi's amusement was cut off when Hiccup took the helmet off her hand while she was distracted. "Yoink." said Hiccup as the Bog Burglar heir noticed the item's disappearance from her hands and into Hiccup's own. "Here you go, Cousin." He then handed it to Snotlout who didn't say anything other than the inaudible grumbles under his breath.

"Say..." Dagur started, cupping a hand on his chin as if he was in deep thought. "Don't you guys have a dragon arena here?" He asked, turning his head to Hiccup while a grin started creeping once more into his face.

Hiccup blinked. "Yyyyyeeessssss...?" He drawled, hesitating as Dagur's grin grew even wider.

"Great! Show me!" Dagur whooped excitedly.

"Okay...?" Hiccup replied hesitantly. "If you would just follow me..." He then started walking to the direction of the Dragon Arena.

* * *

 _At the Dragon Arena_

 _'Gods above, kill me now.'_ Hiccup pleaded in his thoughts as he and the other neared the arena.

Wanna know why? Because if Dagur and Camicazi could take a toll on his patience, then adding the others to the mix was more than enough to just pound it to dust with no chance of it coming back anytime soon. Camicazi talked even more endlessly as Astrid and Ruffnut accompanied her in her talks, and Dagur kept threatening(Subtle threats, but still threats either way) Fishlegs. Add to the fact that Snotlout and Tuffnut kept trying to show off to appeal to the older boy, and Astrid, and you can be certain Hiccup wanted to bash his head into something hard right now just to alleviate his suffering.

They finally reached the gate to the Arena. _'Finally!'_ Hiccup mentally rejoiced as he quickened his pace. The others noticed this and did the same. Hiccup then started to try and unlock the gate(It was quite hard for someone like him) but to no avail. Dagur stepped up, pushing Hiccup out of the way. "Here." He stated and unlocked the gates with ease. Hiccup scowled but quickly retained a neutral look.

"Welcome to the Dragon Arena." Hiccup stated, stepping inside.

"Uh..." Fishlegs piped up. "Weren't we forbidden to come here?" He inquired.

 _"Shut up, Fishlegs."_ Everyone, minus Hiccup, told the boy.

"I'm the Chief's son, I'm sure I'm an exception." Hiccup shrugged. "Now, let me introduce you to the tenants." He sauntered towards the door, but he retained a good distance away from them. He could hear the muffled voices of the captive dragons from within but he couldn't quite make out their words. "The Deadly Nadder." He pointed to the first door.

"The Hideous Zippleback." He pointed to the next door.

"The Monstrous Nightmare." Then, to the next which was slightly shifting back and forth as the dragon raged from within its confinement.

"The Gronckle." He pointed once more to another door, this time, a lot calmer than the last one.

"And finally, The Terrible Terror." He pointed to the last door in the arena. This one had a slight difference than the rest, having a smaller door in its build.

Dagur grinned and walked over to the Terrible Terror's door. "What are you doing?" Hiccup asked.

"I'm releasing it." Dagur answered coolly.

Everyone gasped. "Why?" Hiccup asked, slightly fearful for the answer.

"Because I'm gonna kill it. Duh." Dagur replied, unlocking the the door so that the Dragon could get out.

Hiccup turned to the others. "Leave. _Now._ And get my dad." He told the others who complied, albeit with sight hesitation. The Hooligan heir turned to see that Dagur had stepped back to allow the dragon some free space in its exist.

 **"It's open? It's open!"** Hiccup heard the little dragon whoop as it skittered out of the tiny gate of its prison. It then looked dumbly at Dagur. **"Who are you?"**

Dagur grinned as he quickly stepped on the Terror with his foot, the dragon squawking in surprise as the Berserker heir did so. **"Let go of me!"** shouted the Terror.

"Ah, ah, ah. None of that now." Dagur tutted, taking out his axe. "Let's see how much blood's gonna come off you." He said eagerly as he slowly raised his axe to swing.

Camicazi merely watched with slight amusement, although it was masked with indifference. For Hiccup, time seemed to slow down as he watched the dragon squeal in terror and the axe slowly rising into the air.

 **"No, please! Don't kill me! I've been good!"** The Terrible Terror pleaded and _that_ sent Hiccup into action. As the axe was finally up as high as Dagur could raise it, it quickly came down and killed the poor creature underneath his foot.

At least... That's what Dagur, Camicazi, and the dragon expected to happen. Instead of the sound of steel meeting tearing into flesh, it was steel meeting steel. Everyone present was surprised as Dagur's axe clashed with Hiccup's sword, Endeavor.

"Now, now." Hiccup said to Dagur. "I must've forgotten to tell you that we have a _strict_ rule when it comes to killing the dragons here in the arena." He stated.

"And what rule would that be?" Dagur growled, rather peeved that his kill was denied from him by the auburn haired boy.

"That outsiders are not allowed to kill dragons. Especially those who aren't even supposed to be killing dragons yet" Hiccup replied, forcing Dagur's foot off the dragon who quickly retreated back into its cage in terror.

Hey, you would too if some random crazy person you've never met before tried to kill you.

"What kind of rule is that?" Dagur inquired dangerously, glaring at the younger boy.

Hiccup glared at Dagur. "You have any idea how hard it is to capture a Terrible Terror?" He asked. He didn't wait for a reply as he continued with, "Imagine a giant rat with wings and could breathe fire. Not a very pleasant experience, you know." Of course he'd know, he tried to do that once. "Besides, all these dragons are reserved for recruits only. No one kills them _except_ those who are permitted to kill them." He told the Berserker heir who was steaming mad right about now.

"That's it!" Dagur yelled, raising his axe into the air once more and prepared to strike at Hiccup. "I've had it with your attitude, _Hiccup!_ " He swung the axe at the boy.

Hiccup blocked it with his sword. "I don't wish to fight you, Dagur. I'm only following the rules." He stated. Rules that he made out of the stupidest kind of Bullshits that he could ever think of.

"Too bad!" Dagur kicked Hiccup in the stomach, causing the boy to yelp in pain and fall to the ground. "Let's see how tough you really are!" This time, Dagur wasn't joking around.

Hiccup blocked Dagur's axe with his sword once more. "Very well then. If you could not see reason, I'll make you." Hiccup kicked the older boy away from him as he stood up.

Camicazi grinned. "Free for all!" She shouted, drawing her sword as well. The three combatants circled around each other, none of them dared to make any sudden and/or false moves. Then...

They all charged at each other.

Dagur swung his axe at Hiccup who used Endeavor to block it. Camicazi went for a strike at Hiccup's back, but didn't expect the boy to suddenly pull out his sword's sheath and use it to block her sword. They then withdrew from each other. Dagur made a side swing at Hiccup who dodged it by back-stepping. He then thrust his sword, aiming for Dagur's sides. The Berserker narrowly dodged that and swung his axe down at Hiccup who backed away quickly. Camicazi then made a swipe at Dagur who managed to grab her sword harmlessly before kicking her off and resumed charging at Hiccup. Hiccup replied the charge in kind, slamming into the older boy's body. Camicazi then once again swung her sword towards the two, intending to wound them in one strike. Hiccup and Dagur saw this and immediately separated before Camicazi could hit them.

"Not bad... For boys, that is." Camicazi said smugly.

"You're not half bad yourself, girl." Dagur replied before narrowing his eyes at Hiccup. "You too, surprisingly."

Hiccup switched his sword to his left hand and the sheath to the other. He then tightened his hold on the sheath by tying the bandanna of the sheath to his arm. "Same to both of you."

With Camicazi at the middle of both boys, they charged at her. Camicazi jumped out of the way, causing the two boys to miss their attack. Dagur swung his fist at Hiccup who narrowly missed it and thrust his sword at Dagur's sides. To the surprise of the Berserker, it actually managed to cause him to bleed a bit. He laid a hand on his injured side and then raised his blood-stained hand at his face. Dagur stared at it, as if in a trance, before grinning madly. The Berserker forgot all about why he was so angry at Hiccup and just gave the boy a crazed look.

 _'Oh shit...'_ Hiccup gulped nervously. He then suddenly remembered as to why the Berserker tribe was named that way.

"Hahahahaha!" Dagur laughed as he swung his axe wildly in the air. "You're good, Hiccup! Better than I thought you'd be!" He charged at the boy but was intercepted by Camicazi.

"Don't forget about-!" Camicazi was smacked away by Dagur's hand before she could finish her sentence. Dagur then stepped on her stomach to prevent her from standing up.

"Don't get in my way!" Dagur yelled as he swung down his axe at Camicazi.

Unfortunately for Dagur, he would not be able to hit the Bog Burglar heir as Hiccup stopped his axe with his sword. "If anyone's gonna be landing a hit on the Bog Burglar heir, it'll be me!" Hiccup shouted, forcing Dagur and his axe away from the girl.

"Thanks." Camicazi actually stated before shooting back up and kicking Hiccup, causing the boy to fall to the ground. "But I didn't need saving." She then swung her sword at Hiccup.

"I wasn't trying to." Hiccup said before blocking Camicazi's sword with Endeavor's sheath.

Dagur then charged in by swinging his axe. Hiccup used Endeavor to block the axe while Dagur used his free hand to grab Camicazi by the tunic. All three Heirs were unwilling to let go as they tried pushing the other's weapons back. Hiccup was at a slightly riskier position as he struggled to keep both of his hands from giving in. Dagur's not caring whether he, or any of the two, got hurt. He was determined to push forward and keep up the fight. Camicazi was simply enjoying herself. She wouldn't admit it out lout but she's _actually_ enjoying this fight with the two. It's been quite some time since she had a good challenge and she didn't expect for _boys,_ of all people, to actually be the one to give it to her.

 _ **"What in the name of Odin is going on here?!"**_

All three heirs froze as the sound of their respective parents reached their ears. They then separated from each other and faced their fathers(Mother, In Camicazi's case). All three Chieftains looked _really_ pissed at them.

Well... _"Fuck."_ Hiccup groaned in modern English.

* * *

 _Later, At the Docks_

After being given an earful by their parents, it was now time for the Berserkers and Bog Burglars to go back home. In truth, a small part of Hiccup felt a bit saddened. He... Kind of enjoyed that little spar they had. Of course, he wasn't willing to get into anymore until he's gotten better at sword fighting than he is now.

"Despite our... Disagreements, I believe it wasn't really all that bad meeting you two." Hiccup stated, crossing his arms while smirking.

Dagur grinned and laid a hand over Hiccup's shoulder. "You're now my Brother-In-Arms, Hiccup! You should feel honored that I chose to see you as my equal!" The Berserker boy proclaimed.

Camicazi snorted. "You're... Not bad, Hiccup." She admitted. "But I'm still better than both of you!" She refuted, pointing at both boys who smirked at her.

 _"We'll see about that next time."_ Hiccup and Dagur both said as the older boy took his hand off Hiccup's shoulder.

As they got onto their ships, both Dagur and Camicazi waved goodbye to Hiccup who returned the gesture with a wave of his own. He then turned to his dad. "Well... Can't say I didn't enjoy their visit, I suppose." He stated as his dad merely narrowed his eyes at the boy.

"You and I are gonna have a talk about that little incident." Stoick declared and started walking back to the village.

Hiccup laughed. "Let's see what can I do with those two." He said to himself. After all, if he managed to befriend those two, he could gain great allies in the future. Dagur probably won't become the antagonist of Hiccup's life later on in the future should he manage to handle the will-be-Deranged boy in such and early point in his life. And Camicazi...

Gods, Hiccup(Or to be more precise, Henry) just wants to pinch those cute little cheeks of her. She was just too _adorable!_ He knows that the Bog Burglar heir is just the same age as he currently is, but the Henry part of his brain doesn't see it that way. To Henry, Camicazi was one of the cutest kids he had ever seen. And the Hiccup side?... Well, I'll leave that up to you to decide.

Next morning, the physical toll of Hiccup's spar with the two heirs finally caught up with him and he spent several hours moaning in pain at his bed.

* * *

 **A/n: You know, I could make this story run in _so_ many ways. So, so many ways. But I need to control myself... At least, for now. School's out for Christmas vacation(Although my projects are still haunting me) so that means I'll have lots of free time in my hand. This is probably the longest chapter I've ever originally written with my own imagination. My brain went to overdrive when writing this one. I think i ran out of imagination juice... Anyway, hope you guys liked it and tell me what you think of me including some(And by some, I mean this is probably the only ones I'll include) book elements in the Animated(That's what I'll refer to them now) universe. See you all in the next update! Note, it may not be as grand or fully given all as this one is.**


	6. Heart of a Chief, Soul of a Dragon

_Ten Years after Hiccup's birth_

Have I ever mentioned how quiet Berk is during those times where not even a single dragon, not even a Terrible Terror, can be spotted? No? Well, you see, Berk _does_ get those times where they don't have to worry about another impromptu dragon raid. Almost hard to believe, I know. But it sure do exist. Today, in particular, it was a nice day to be outside. Sun is shining, temperature is perfect(at least, as perfect as you could get in this part of the Archipelago), and not a cloud in the sky. So that means-

 ***KA-BOOM!***

-That our reborn main character, Henry H. Haddock(But he's called Hiccup in this new life), is out by the forge doing some stupid shit that could possibly get him in a less-than-favorable situation, either by his own hand or by his father's, Stoick the Vast.

One passing male villager looked at the forge, smoke coming out of the building. He then turned to another passing villager, this time a woman. "That boy again?" He asked, pointing a thumb at the forge.

The female villager nodded. "That boy again." She confirmed.

Meanwhile, Hiccup came out of the smoldering forge. He coughed a bit as he used his free hand, the other being used to hold something important, to fan the smoke away from him. "Well... That's the last, ***cough*** , time I'll be messing with gunpowder, ***cough*** , ever again." He said in-between coughs. "But at least, I finished you before that." He continued as he looked at the item in his hand.

What's that item, you ask? Why, it was Endeavor, Hiccup's sword. But it was different. The old design(Hiccup now dubs it _'Endeavor mk I'_ ) had a basic short sword( _really_ short) appearance and was made of regular iron that Gobber uses in every weapon he makes. The difference between the old one and the one that Hiccup has in his hands lies in those two factors. For one, the new one(Endeavor mk II, as Hiccup shall dub it in his mind) was now curvier. It's hilt was also modified to Hiccup's preference. The blade was slender but it had been given a sharpened edge for both thrusting and slashing attacks. It was more like a cutlass except longer. He had also got rid of Endeavor's old sheath(which mainly consisted of wood wrapped around leather) and replaced it with a scabbard(made out of metal) instead. The biggest difference that made it infinitely better than its previous incarnation was that it was also made from the toughest of ores that Hiccup could find on his own.

Gronckle Iron.

That's right. _Gronckle Iron_. Toughest iron in the HTTYD franchise, at least according to Hiccup's knowledge. Lightweight yet very durable, it was the perfect material for Hiccup's new and improved sword. Truthfully, it proved to be quite difficult to gather the necessary ingredients to produce such an iron, both due to Hiccup's memory needing a little bit of recalling for the exact ingredients _and_ also gathering the iron itself without being noticed by the others. Once he managed to recall the name of the ingredients, it was easy enough to have Gobber come with him and find three out of the four ingredients around the forest of Berk. Who knew Gobber could tell which rock is which? The last one, iron ore, was simple enough to get.

" _But Shadow!"_ You shout through your computer screen(You probably didn't, but I implore you to roll with it). _"Even if Hiccup/Henry managed to get those ingredients, he'll still require a Gronckle to produce it!"_

That, my dear readers, is where Meatlug(Yes, he gave the dragon the name she will have in the future) comes into play. The Gronckle had been quick to tame and befriend after a few whiffs of Dragon Nip that he had harvested during his trips to the forest, some scratches below the chin, and(to top it all off) some belly rubs. A week after the annual peace treaty renewal, Hiccup had commenced his plan to tame the dragons early on. The Terrible Terror, which he had named Sharpshot because he was certain it was the same one Hiccup originally trained, was the easiest since he had saved its, or rather his, life last time they met, practically simplifying and quickening the pace of Hiccup's plans. Meatlug was the second easiest to tame as she was already quite calm to begin with. The rest are... Still in progress but he's quite certain he'll be done by this year, give or take a few months.

Anyway, once the female Gronckle managed to produce the iron(Hiccup made sure to do it late at night, you have no idea how many times Hiccup nearly burnt himself due to dozing off at random intervals and how tired he is)he quickly went to work, melting down his old sword and created his new one. He even used the same iron to craft his new scabbard for extra defense.

 _ **And from the ashes of Endeavor did its successor arose from the fires of the forge!... Er, back to the story!**_

Hiccup stared at the new sword in his hand, momentarily forgetting about the blown-up forge behind him. It was shiny. _Very_ shiny. The silver sheen it gives off could probably cause you to cover your eyes from the brightness, if the sun's light were to bounce off it like a mirror and towards your eyes.

"What in the name of Thor happened?!" A voice bellowed. A very familiar voice, mind you.

Hiccup froze. _'Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit.'_ The word was repeated over and over in the boy's mind as he slowly turned to face a _very_ angry Gobber.

"Well?!" Gobber demanded, glaring at the boy's small form.

Hiccup nervously chuckled. "Aha... Gobber, nice day to be outside, eh?" He said, glancing at the clear sky. Or, anything that wasn't Gobber.

Gobber looked at him, then towards the smoldering forge, then back to Hiccup. "What. Happened?" He inquired, a dangerous tone settling in his voice.

Hiccup rubbed the back of his head and suddenly found the ground very interesting to look at. "Weeeeell..." He drawled. "I was working _really_ hard at the forge, you know, improving my sword here..." He swung his sword in the air for emphasis. "And when I was finished, I thought, _'Hey, let's see what happens when I go fiddle with some gunpowder from the armory.'_ , and then one thing led to another and this happened." He finished as he gestured to the forge.

Gobber growled at him. "You're going to clean and fix the forge without the help of your friends." He declared.

Hiccup gulped. "Right now?" He asked.

" _Now_." Gobber replied with tone of finality. Hiccup sighed and turned around back to the forge.

* * *

 _Later_

Hiccup groaned as he swung his arm in a circular motion in an attempt to rid himself of the stress on his shoulders. _"Fucking Gobber, you son of a troll."_ Hiccup hissed in his modern English. The basket secured onto his back didn't help either.

Currently, he was in the Dragon Arena. He thought that he should continue his plan with the dragons so that he wouldn't have a lot of things to do in the future(Also to spare him the headaches). He sauntered towards the dragon cages and shouted, "Sup, Everybody!", and He was given a couple of varying greetings.

" **Hello, Hiccup!"** Meatlug greeted, always in her cheery tone. The Gronckle was what Hiccup had imagined a cheery girl would act like. She had been the second easiest dragon to tame due to her friendly nature after she had whiffed some of the dragon nip Hiccup had brought for her.

" **My savior! A good morning to you!"** Sharpshot greeted. Hiccup rolled his eyes at the Terror's greeting. Ever since he had saved the small dragon from Dagur, Sharpshot had taken a habit on calling the boy, _"My Savior"_. It wasn't that the gesture was unappreciated, but it had became tiring when he kept calling him that and the Terror kept tackling and nuzzling him whenever he lets him out of the cage.

" **Good morning to you, human child."** Stormfly the Deadly Nadder greeted. She was almost like Astrid, although more mature than the Viking Shield Maiden She was also quite vain as anything that has a reflective surface has a high possibility of distracting her(In certain circumstances only, of course). Apparently, she was one of the two older dragons in the cage. Whereas the others are, in dragon years, the same age as the other kids of Hiccup's age group, Stormfly was apparently slightly older than them, maybe three human years older than the others. Old enough to sort of develop some maternal instincts towards the boy. Believe him, he knows.

" **Good Morning-."** Barf started.  
 **"-To you, human."** Belch finished. The two headed Zippleback was(were?) the most mischievous of the bunch, always playing around with Hiccup whenever he lets them out. The dragon would first release their gas and limit the boy's vision, and then they would toy with Hiccup, either by knocking him down and then picking him up or simply stealing the fishes he brought to feed the other dragons with. Other than that, they were _ok_ in Hiccup's metaphorical book.

Hookfang the Monstrous Nightmare didn't give out a reply, but Hiccup _did_ hear a small grunt from behind the doors. The stoker dragon was the next oldest dragon in the Arena. Although Hookfang was more recent compared to the other dragons, he was apparently older than all of them. Only one or two human years older than Stormfly, actually. The dragon was quite prideful and has a slight problem with humans, including Hiccup. However, the boy was sure he's getting close in earning the dragon's trust. Or at the very least, the dragon's respect.

"Hope you guys are hungry, cause I brought some cods along for you guys." Hiccup stated as he dropped the basket to the ground. He could hear the squeals(or what sounds like it) of excitement from behind the iron gates that separate him from the dragons of each cages. "However, I cannot let you all out simply because the others might see me and I don't have enough energy to deal with such antics." He added, earning a few moans of disappointment from the dragons.

"By the way, thanks for the iron, Meatlug. Appreciate it a bunch." Hiccup thanked the Gronckle.

" **It was nothing! Stomach's still aching a bit, but other than that, it's fine!"** Meatlug replied. Hiccup apologized for that last part.

He gave each dragon five fishes each, including the Terrible Terror(despite his size, Hiccup still gave the little dragon the same amount and size of fishes). Once his business in the arena was conducted, He quickly made sure everything was like it was before he came in and hurried out of the arena.

As Hiccup reached the village, he decided to spend some time wandering around the village. Despite his _little_ mishap with the forge, the peace was undisturbed. People were still roaming around the village, doing various tasks that doesn't really concern Hiccup so I, as the author, am not gonna waste the words describing them. Anyway, as I was saying, the villagers were too preoccupied with their tasks that they didn't notice-

" _YAAAAAAAARRRRRGGGHHHHH!"  
_ ***CLANG!* *KICK*** "Oof!"

... Oh, you're done? Good. As I was saying,They didn't notice-

" _AAAAAAAARRRRGGHHHHH!"  
_ ***CLANG!* *PUNCH*** "Ack!"

 _As I was fucking saying!..._ Nothing? Okay, they didn't-

" _RAAAAGGHHH_ - _?!"  
_ Hiccup clamped the assailant/interrupter's mouth and kicked him down to the ground. Said assailant was none other than Snotlout Jorgenson, Hiccup's prideful cousin. The Jorgenson boy had attempted to strike him with a sword, but had been disarmed the first time he had been kicked by Hiccup.

"Snotlout, nice day outside." Hiccup casually greeted as if he was _never_ rudely attacked **(Or interrupted, in my case)** in the first place. He gave his cousin a kind smile. "Mind telling me why you're trying to chop my head off with a sword?" He _kindly_ asked.

Snotlout was quick to get up. "Hiccup!" He cried out, grabbing the sword from the ground and pointed it at the smaller boy. "Fight me!" He shouted before charging towards Hiccup, sword raised in the air.

Hiccup merely side-stepped to avoid the attack. "In some place and to some people, it's considered rude to suddenly attack someone _and_ to suddenly challenge someone into a fight in such an order." He stated.

"Less talking, more fighting!" Snotlout yelled, charging once more at Hiccup who once again side-stepped to avoid the boy, this time opting to stick his foot out to trip the Jorgenson boy.

Which, obviously enough, he did.

Hiccup noticed the others. "Hey, guys." He greeted with a wave. Astrid, Fishlegs, Tuffnut, and Ruffnut waved back. "Care to explain?" He asked, gesturing to Snotlout who just got up and prepared for another charge.

"Explain what?" Tuffnut dumbly asked.

"Idiot." Ruffnut remarked, smacking her twin brother in the head. "He wants us to tell him why Snotlout suddenly attacked him out of the blue." Ruffnut told her brother.

"Oh." Tuffnut replied, finally getting it. "Well, you see, it started out with a normal day. You know, us hanging out together and you doing whatever _Hiccup-y—_." The Thorston boy made air quotes with his two hands."- Stuff, then you blew up the forge, which was awesome by the way, and then Snotlout was flirting with Astrid-."

"Like usual." Ruffnut remarked.

"-And then Astrid said something about she'd rather-?!" Tuffnut was unable to finish his sentence due to a hand clamping his mouth shut. The hand belonged to none other than Astrid Hofferson herself.

"That I'd rather kiss a dragon than date Snotlout." Astrid finished for the Thorston boy. Everyone, minus Snotlout who was yet again tripped by Hiccup, gave the blonde shield maiden

Hiccup blinked a bit at Astrid's strange attitude. She looked... Almost embarrassed, flustered even. It was quite out of character of her. Hiccup shrugged it off as one f her quirks that was brought about by his actions. He _did_ alter the timeline a little bit, after all. He-

 _"RAAAAAGGGHHHH!"_

Hiccup _finally_ grew tired of Snotlout's foolhardy attempts to strike him and drew out his sword, Endeavor. He then kicked Snotlout, causing the Jorgenson boy to fall on his butt. Again. Snotlout shook his head and looked up, only to see that Hiccup was already looming above him and had his sword raised into the air to strike the boy. Snotlout held the sword with both hands and raised it to block his cousin's attack. Hiccup then swung down.

The resulting clash of weapons caused a loud, ***CLANG!***. Hiccup grinned as the Jorgenson boy will be unable to move from his spot right away and then repeatedly smashed his sword against Snotlout's own, resulting in-

 ***CLANG!* *CLANG!* *CLANG!* *CLANG!* *TING!***

The amount of stress of being hit by a superior-in-quality weapon repeatedly was too much for Snotlout's sword as it finally snapped. Literally. The blade of Snotlout's sword had literally broke in half. Snotlout fearfully looked at his broken sword, then to Hiccup who had wiped the grin off his face and sheathed Endeavor back in the sword's scabbard. He then calmly walked away, ignoring the gaping viewers of his sudden display of strength.

"If you need me, I'll be wandering around the place. But if it's to challenge me to a fight like what my cousin did, then you can take a look at his sword and get second thoughts about that." Hiccup declared as he went on his way.

* * *

 _Tomorrow_

Hiccup was having a peaceful sleep. Like, half of the time he had slept in his new life. The rest were interrupted by dragon raids early in the morning. Like, _really_ early to the point that the sun was not even out yet.

Sadly, These were one of those times.

Hiccup's peaceful sleep was interrupted when he heard the sounds of distant explosions and dragon roars. His eyes snapped open and the boy got up from his bed, sighing to himself as he did so. He grabbed his sword, Endeavor, and quickly ran out of his house. He passed through multiple villagers, all of which were wide awake and are carrying weapons for battle. He then dodged a few dragons whose line of fire were coincidentally affecting the same route Hiccup is taking right now. It was practically a routine for the young Hooligan heir. Get woken up by dragons, make sure to have Endeavor at all times, and find a safe place to hide until the dragons leave.

Although that didn't prevent a _few_ fires caused by dragons chasing Hiccup around for some ungodly reason, causing a few houses to be set on fire. Even though he's probably gonna be a great Swordsman, the villager's are probably not gonna let those go so easily. It really wasn't even his fault sometimes. Because, well, how was he supposed to know that Phlegma's house was on fire after being hit by a Monstrous Nightmare's fire blast?

Anyway, he then saw the fire brigade-in-training which consists of Astrid, Fishlegs, Snotlout, Tuffnut, and Ruffnut. "Hey, guys. Lovely morning we're having, eh?" He joked, earning a grunt of acknowledgement from each of them, minus Snotlout who gave him an irritated grumble instead. They were currently pouring water over a burning building as fast as they can. The auburn haired boy watched as the group continue to pour water from their buckets into the burnt areas of the house when suddenly-?!

 ***THUD!***

They were then interrupted when a Zippleback suddenly came down from the sky and into the ground besides them. It roared at the group who screamed in fear, minus Hiccup who only looked at it with wide-eyes. Hiccup then quickly grabbed into his vest, only to find out that he forgot to bring an eel with him. _'Shit!'_ Hiccup mentally cursed as he drew his sword.

The Zippleback hissed and snarled at the group, seemingly ignoring Hiccup in favor of the larger group of will-be-Vikings. The group screamed in terror as the dragon neared them. "Hey!" Hiccup yelled as he charged at the two-headed dragon. He sliced at one of the heads, but the Zippleback had apparently _not_ forgotten about him as the head he was supposed to strike turned to snap at him. He managed to avoid it, then he grinned at the dragon. "Hah! That all you-?!" The taunt was left unfinished as the dragon's tail came to smack Hiccup and knock him to the ground.

 _"Hiccup!"_ The terrified group of the fire brigade cried out to the boy but was forced to concentrate on the dragon as it roared at them.

Hiccup groaned and rubbed his head as he got up. Fear-filled screams rang through Hiccup's ears as his eyes widened. He then saw the Zippleback preparing to incinerate his friends. _'No, you **don't!**_ _'_ He thought as he gritted his teeth. Just as the two-headed dragon unleashed its fire, Hiccup shouted, _**"Stoooooop!"**_

And suddenly, Hiccup's world faded through inky darkness.

 _A wall of... Red, Hiccup supposed. What happened? Where was he? He could... Feel something from that reddish wall in front of him. Like it felt wrong. Hiccup suddenly felt emotions that didn't belong to him..._

 _Angerfearresentmenthatredscaredsososcaredobeyobeyobeymustobeynotwanttodiehunger...Hungerhungerhunger **hungerhungerhungerhungerhungermustfeedhermustfeedhermustfeedhercantbeslowcantdisobeycantdisobeymustobeymusthelpothershelphelphelp**_

 _Hiccup 'roared' in pain as the mental assault continued. "Stop! Stop it stop it stop it stop it! I demand you to stop it! Leave me be! Obey me, damn it!"_

 _Suddenly, the wall of red was... Smashed, for the lack of a better word. The sound it made was like glass breaking. Suddenly, it was green. A very calm green. He can hear a soft hum from it. He then felt emotions that were once again not his but... Felt like it was his._

 ** _Free...? Yes, free! No... Not free... New leader... Must obey... Must obey... Stop... Stop... Yes, must stop... New Leader says so... Must leave... More humans... Must protect leader!... No, must leave... New leader will be obeyed..._**

 _Hiccup suddenly felt very tired... Very, very tired..._

"Hiccup!"

 _Sleep feels like a very good idea right about now..._

"Hiccup, wake up, cousin! Don't die on us now!"

 _Such a soothing color that fading green wall is... How mesmerizing it is... Almost like his eyes were when he stared at them via reflection of the lake..._

"Son! Hang in there! Get the healer!"

 _The voices are getting quieter now... Finally... He could sleep now... The last thing Hiccup heard was a voice that didn't sound quite familiar to him._

 ** _New leader will be asleep... We will wait for new leader to reawaken..._**

* * *

 _Sometime later_

"Ergh..." Hiccup groaned as his eyes fluttered open. "What happened...?" He murmured as he sat up from the bed that _was not his_.

"Oh, you're awake." A smooth female voice remarked. Hiccup turned to look at the face of one of the village healers. He forgot her name since he rarely sees her. "That's good. Are you feeling alright, boy?" The healer asked.

"Aside from a slight headache, I'm feeling as fine as before." Hiccup replied, rubbing his forehead. His stomach grumbled and he felt that his throat was a bit dry. "Actually, I'm feeling hungry and thirsty."

The healer nodded. "That is to be expected. You were out for three whole days straight." She said.

Hiccup looked at her in surprise. "Three days...?" He ruffled his own hair messily. "That's a lot of days I missed." He remarked.

"Your father and your friends were quite worried about you. Especially that Hofferson girl." The healer commented, handing Hiccup a loaf of bread and a mug of water. Hiccup graciously took the offerings from the healer, ravenously ate the bread, and greedily drank the water. After he was done, he wiped some excess water in his lips.

"Heh... Yeah, sounds like them, alright." Hiccup replied, taking off the sheets that covered his body. He noticed that his fur vest and tunic were not where they usually are. "Uh... May I have my clothes back, please?" He requested.

The healer nodded and handed the boy his clothes. Quickly putting them on, he got off the bed and hurriedly left the door. "Wait! I still need to check for any other problems!" The healer called out to the boy, but her words fell in deaf ears as the boy was already gone.

 _'What was that?'_ Hiccup wondered as he raced across the village and into the forest, ignoring the look of surprises and calls of his name as he passed by the other villagers and his friends. That... phenomenon that occurred with him and the dragon. It was strange. He could feel those... Emotions. They weren't his, he knows that much, but rather it felt like the dragon's. Nevertheless, Hiccup quickened his pace towards the forest.

He could feel... Something coming from the forest. His head was pounding, although not painfully. His vision kept seeing a flash of green as he nears the forest. The same kind of green that he saw when he blacked out. He ran inside the forest, following the flashes in his vision. They seem to get stronger and more clearer as he neared his destination, a cave hidden by the canopy of trees and the darkness of the forest. Suddenly...

He stopped.

He could feel it. That... phenomenon... It was somewhere around here...

 ** _New Leader has awoken... He is here with us. We should greet him. Yes! Yes, we should!_**

Hiccup saw the two heads of the Zippleback from three days ago snake out of the darkness. He gulped nervously as he tensed. The two-headed dragon noticed this.

 ** _New Leader is afraid... Why is he afraid...? He is human. Of course, he will be afraid... But he is New Leader... Humans can become new leader?... This one can... Must show New Leader trust..._**

Those were the thoughts Hiccup could hear from the dragon and, frankly, it was freaking him out. The dragon moved towards the boy, causing him to tense even more and prepared himself to run. However, the next action of the dragon confused the auburn haired boy.

It began crooning. The left head nuzzled the boy, almost lovingly. The right head did the same. Hiccup was confused. "What are you...?"

 **"We are showing you trust..."** The left head spoke.  
 **"To show you that we mean no harm, new leader..."** The second head added as the dragon continued its actions.

"Why do you call me _New Leader_? What did I do to you?" Hiccup asked, careful not to upset the dragon with any of his actions as he pushed the two heads away. Now that he looked at the dragon more clearly, it had a different color from Barf and Belch. Instead of green being their primary color, this one was more yellowish with a tint of orange.

 ** _He does not know... We should tell him... Yes. Yes, he needs to know... But even we don't know how he could do it... Doesn't matter. He freed us... He deserves this, at least..._**

There it was again... Hiccup frowned a bit. The two-headed dragon then focused on the boy.

 **"You have shattered the tyrant's control over us..."** The left head spoke.  
 **"And replaced it with your own. We are now yours to command, New Leader."** The right head continued.

"The tyrant... Your queen." Hiccup said, realizing that the tyrant was the _'Red Death'_.

 ** _Angerangerangerhatehatehatehateangerhatehatehatehateherhatethattyrantkilltyrantnotourqueenneverourqueen_**

The Dragon hissed at the mention. **_"Not our queen! She is a tyrant! A monster from the depths of hell itself!"_** Both heads hissed. Hiccup flinched at the sudden emotions he felt. The dragon noticed the boy's discomfort and crooned apologetically, lowering their heads in the process. **_"We apologize... We did not wish to harm New Leader..."_** Both heads spoke.

"No... It's okay." Hiccup replied, rubbing his forehead a bit. "Now... What do you mean _'I replaced it with my own'_?" He asked.

The dragon perked up. **"You took control of us..."** The left head said.

"So I have enslaved you myself..." Hiccup murmured, gritting his teeth.

The two-headed dragon shook their heads. **"No. Enslavement is forcing one's will into the connection of other dragons. Though you have done something akin to it..."** The left head spoke.  
 **"But it was not like _hers_." ** There was venom practically leaking in the right head's voice. **"We are free... Yet not free... You've freed us... But we remain bound to you through the connection."** The right head explained.

"Not exactly a detailed explanation but it answers the question nonetheless." Hiccup commented. He then crossed his arms. "So... You're saying I somehow managed to break her control over you. How did I do it?" He asked.

 **"We do not know for sure."** The left head answered.  
 **"Our minds have connected by your will somehow and you... did something."** The right head added.

"Right... Let me try again." Hiccup said as he walked towards the dragon and stared at the two heads intensely. "Alright... Let's see this connection." He murmured as his thoughts focused on the dragon in front of him. Then...

There was darkness.

 _... Here he was again. In the inky darkness... Is this the connection? He then saw the wall of green once more... There it is... He could see it pulsating, hear it humming, and feel its... Something._

 ** _This is your connection, New Leader..._**

 _How mesmerizing... It was so... Vibrant, to say the least..._

 ** _Your will replaced the tyrant's own... You have bound us by your will..._**

 _. He didn't meant to do something like that... He just wanted to help his friends... He didn't mean to enslave-_

 ** _Do not despair, New Leader... We accept your rule... We will stay by your side. We will protect you as if you are one of our own... No, you are more than one of our own... Could you really be...?_**

 _Suddenly, he felt two more presence. He saw two more walls form. They were colored grey._

 ** _Intruders!... Protect New Leader!..._**

 _Hiccup was cut off from the void of darkness._

Hiccup opened his eyes and gasped for air as if he hadn't breathed for a long while.

 **"Human..."** A new voice, this one quite unfamiliar to the boy, growled.

 **"We need to get rid of it before it alerts the others of its kin."** A second new voice added. This one was more feminine than the last one. It sounded quite aggressive from the tone of its voice.

 ** _"You will not touch New Leader!"_** The Zippleback roared at the two dragons, stepping between Hiccup and the two new dragons.

Hiccup saw that they were Changewings. _'That's odd.'_ He thought. There weren't any native Changewings here on Berk the last time he checked. Then again, Changewings didn't have the ability of camouflage for nothing. The two mystery class dragons roared at the Zippleback who in turn roared back.

 **"Step away from that human, fellow dragon!"** The first one ordered the two-headed dragon. This one was male, Hiccup concluded.

"Zippleback. Stand down." Hiccup commanded.

 ** _"But-!"_** The two heads protested but Hiccup shushed them. Hiccup smirked as he walked slowly towards the two Changewings.

"Let's see what else I can do, shall we?" He told the two dragons who hissed at him.

Unbeknownst to all, Hiccup's left eye faintly glowed a bright green. It was only an instant as Hiccup's world faded into darkness once more and then into the connection.

* * *

 **A/n: Ohhhhhhhhhhh! Holy shit, I did a thing! I did a fucking thing that's probably gonna get me stabbed with a stake! Whooaaaaaahhhhhhh! *cough*... I mean, yeah. I did a thing. 'Soul of a dragon' for the win! Woot woot! Gonna be making my own plot, doo, doo, doo, doo! Gonna fail spectacularly, lalalalala!... Someone slap me. Anyway, tell me what you guys think! Bye~!**


	7. Nothing is ever set in stone, is there?

_Twelve Years after Hiccup's birth_

The shores of Berk are a nice and calm place where one can simply stare at the ocean waves to pass the time. However, the peaceful image is ruined by the amount of debris that practically litter the place. Broken pieces of ships are one of a couple of things that wash up on the shorelines of Berk. Of course, this wasn't really a frequent thing. It's just that no one really bothers to clean them up, let alone check on them.

All except for Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, otherwise known as Henry in his previous life, who sometimes check to see whatever junk he could possibly find useful among the useless debris. It went as well as finding a needle in a haystack. Anyway, with the help of the Zippleback which he had named from left head to right as _'Trick'_ and _'Treat'_ , as well as the two Changewings that he had named _'Invy'_ and _'Sibel'_ , he had moved the useless debris in a pile somewhere else.

But alas! Our focus for now is not our reincarnated auburn haired main character, but rather the dragon that is currently approaching the shores of Berk. It was big... No, that's an understatement. It was _massive._ Its large two pair of wings were practically enough to wrap around a smaller dragon(* **cough*** Night Fury ***cough** ***)**. It has a very muscular and sturdy build, suggesting that the dragon was male. The dragon's face has two long spines that branch off its nose and to the side with a "smashed" face, kind of like some sort of owl. It has a three-finned tail, it also has many spines down its back, and a large _"crown"_ on their head that contributes to its intimidation.

Ah, but what really takes the cake is that the massive dragon is carrying a person on its back. The figure was wearing an outfit that adorns a chest armor and large armbands with talons above the hands. They also adorn shoulder pads with one side smeared in blue paint. The legs of the figure were equally as covered as the arms are. They can be seen wearing a red and torn cape, and strips of fabric around her waist. They also wear a masking helmet with horns and tusks that resembles some sort of dragon to hide the figure's true identity. Finally, it is covered in blue and red paint. Overall, the person looked like a dragon-human hybrid, I suppose.

As the dragon finally landed on the shores of Berk, the figure hopped off the dragon. "Here we are... Berk." The stranger murmured, their voice sounding muffled by the mask they were wearing.

The dragon made a sound with a tone of displeasure. The stranger hushed them. "I know, I know. But I just _have_ to see him. Besides, you were pretty eager to come here until halfway into our journey." The stranger chided the dragon who growled at them.

To anyone else, that _did_ sounded like a threatening growl. To the stranger, it was more like the dragon had said, _"Touche."_

"The village shouldn't be too far from here. Oh, I wonder what he looks like now..." The stranger stated, hopping once more on the dragon's back. The dragon then took flight into the sky and towards the village of Berk.

While that's happening, let's go back to our main character, shall we?

* * *

 _At the Village_

It was another normal day at Berk. And by normal, I mean that the village has yet again lived through another impromptu dragon raid. Seriously, they're getting more recent often.

But that's not our focus for now! Instead, it's the forge where Hiccup was just about done with his _'Bola Launcher'_ (Or Mangler, whichever you prefer) invention. You could also see Astrid, Fishlegs, Snotlout, Tuffnut, Ruffnut, and Gobber there too. They were all having conversation with Hiccup about his... Certain quality.

"So... You're saying my sarcastic sense of humor isn't funny anymore." Hiccup said as he finished wrapping up his newly created invention.

"It's not that they're not funny anymore." Fishlegs replied.

"It's just that they're getting really old and tiring to hear." Astrid added to which the others nodded.

"Oh..." Hiccup sounded almost saddened. "Okay then... I guess I gotta..." He paused a bit as a grin formed on his face. "Re _forge_ my sense of humor." He finished, closing his right eye as he did so. It took a moment for the group of preteens and blacksmith to understand the joke, and when they did...

They laughed. Well, actually, not all of them, just the twins. Gobber gave Hiccup an irritated look, Snotlout thought it was a terrible joke, and both Astrid and Fishlegs are trying to hold in their laughs.

Hiccup picked up his sword, Endeavor, and started walking out the forge. "Don't you know it's _Sword_ -hard to think up of jokes to use in my everyday life?" He continued as he strapped the sheathed sword onto his belt.

Gobber's gave Hiccup an even more irritated look, Snotlout groaned in annoyance, the twins laughed even harder to the point they were rolling on the ground, and both Astrid and Fishlegs couldn't help but let out a giggle or two.

Of course, before Hiccup left the forge and wander around the village, he decided to leave one last joke for the group. "Man, this is such a _Hiccup_ in my day." He said as he scratched his head to add effect. "I guess I gotta _hammer_ it up a notch." He finished as he tapped Gobber's blacksmith hammer before dashing away from the forge.

Snotlout groaned and covered his face with his hands. "Odin, may you forgive my cousin for his horrible jokes." He muttered under his breath.

The twins were still laughing on the ground so Astrid had to drop the butt of her axe on their stomachs to calm them down. Hey, it was better with what Gobber had in mind.

Meanwhile, with Hiccup, the preteen can be seen simply peacefully wandering around the village without a care in the world...

Well, more or less. He _is_ still re-evaluating his actions for the future. With the discovery of his unprecedented ability to not only understand dragons, but to also form some sort of mental connection to them, it made a couple of things a lot more complicated than it should be. It _should've_ been simple, right? Make the _'Bola Launcher'_ , shoot down the Night Fury, find the Night Fury, set the Night Fury free, fix tailfin while slowly forming a bond with the Night Fury, get found out by your dad, battle the Red Death, and create peace between Vikings and Dragons. It should've been _fucking_ simple.

But nope! This particular revelation just threw a wrench in his plans! Sure, it'll make a lot of things easier in the future, but with only two more years until the events of the movie take place, Hiccup suddenly found his own thoughts in disarray. Minor to major _What ifs_ kept creeping into Hiccup's mind as he thought about his plans for the future. However, he'll have to put those thoughts on hold as he deal with getting his life back on track. It's really hard to decide whether he should use the _'Bola Launcher'_ on Toothless, or maybe he should hope that his ability could reach the Night Fury's mind at such a distance...

Actually, now that he thought about it, maybe he could just give Toothless a bit of some special treatment and hope that he could forgive him for rendering him flightless on his own.

Anyway, thoughts about the future aside, he should really check on those three dragons he had formed a mental connection with and see—

Hiccup quickly drew his sword and turned around to block a sword strike from behind. A flash of yellow hair(Yes, he saw yellow hair) and the assailant's sword quickly disappeared from his sight and the preteen felt a harmful intent from behind him. Reacting quickly, he gave the assailant a back kick in what hopefully was their stomach.

"Oof!" Sure enough, his kick landed on the attacker's stomach and caused them to fall on the ground.

"Camicazi, I presume." Hiccup guessed as he sheathed Endeavor back in the sword's scabbard. He really didn't need to look who it was. It was quite obvious who did it.

"How'd you know?" The now realized Bog Burglar heir asked as she got up from the ground.

"None of the others at Berk could get the drop on me like that, and I would've heard Dagur quietly cackling like a madman if it was him." Hiccup replied as he turned to look at the girl in front of him.

It appears that the Bog Burglar heir was quite adventurous. Perhaps more so than her book counterpart. She was Berk's most frequent visitor, although most of the time it wasn't because she was with her mother. Whereas Hiccup could only see Dagur when the Berserkers come pay Berk a visit for the annual Peace treaty renewal, Camicazi was practically almost always visiting at least once a month. Mostly because she was sailing with her friends from their island. Also, her travels weren't always approved...

Anyway, a little fact for you guys, the three Heirs would usually travel to Berk's Dragon Arena and have a harmless(most of the time) spar every time they would see each other. Although for some bizarre reason, it always ended with either a draw or they were interrupted by their parents when it was time for the Bog Burglars and Berserkers to go back home. It wasn't always in the same day did the two outside Tribes would come to Berk, but Camicazi's frequent visits fixed that. Apparently, she would learn about the Berserker's visits to Berk and travel there herself if the Bog Burglars weren't coming at the same day.

' _Camicazi sure does look a lot like Astrid.'_ Hiccup thought as he eyed the Bog Burglar heir's physical changes. She was now practically like her book version, key differences being she didn't look like the book's _unique_ drawing style. Although her long and wild hair definitely stayed true to the book's imagery of her. _'Or was it Astrid that looked like Camicazi?'_ He added to his thoughts.

"What are you staring at, Haddock?" Camicazi growled, giving Hiccup a glare. The Henry side's urges of pinching her cheeks suddenly went up a notch, but the Hiccup side of him quickly reined it in as it would practically ruin his reputation(Small as it is).

"Oh? Do you perhaps find the gaze of someone such as myself uncomfortable?" Hiccup teased with a smirk.

Camicazi quickly elbowed him in the stomach, causing the Hooligan heir to yelp in pain and wrap his arms around his poor stomach. "No, I just find it creepy." She replied.

A metaphorical, yet still painful, arrow shot through Hiccup's chest. Okay... That was actually pretty offensive to him. He was never regarded as creepy in his previous life, just awkward. "Jeez... Lighten up, will you? I was just joking, you're not really all that great to look at, you know." Hiccup said as he nursed his pained stomach.

Apparently, that was the wrong thing to say as Camicazi smacked him in the head. "What was that, Haddock?!" She demanded, increasing the intensity of her glare at Hiccup.

"I said girls are great and are better than most men." Hiccup quickly replied, rubbing his aching head. _'Why worry with headaches from thinking too much when you've got someone else to give you an actual headache herself.'_ The auburn haired preteen groaned in his thoughts.

"Doesn't sound like what I just heard." Camicazi growled dangerously.

"Must've been the wind. That happens a lot around here." Hiccup excused, stepping away from the Bog Burglar heir.

" _Really?_ " Camicazi inquired, disbelief and a pinch of sarcasm evident in her voice.

"Really." Hiccup repeated, raising his hands in defense.

Camicazi glared at Hiccup for a couple of seconds before smirking. "Alright. I believe you, Haddock." She stated.

Hiccup would've released the breath he was holding in relief but noticed his waist felt a bit lighter than it should be. "... You stole my sword while I was busy making excuses, didn't you?" He asked, noticing his sword on Camicazi's hand.

"Better hope you've gotten better at running, Haddock~." Camicazi teased in a sing-song tone as she broke into a sprint.

"When I get my hands on you, you'll regret stealing the sword of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, you damn Bog Burglar!" Hiccup roared, chasing after Camicazi.

The villagers, who were watching the meeting between the two, simply stared at the two heirs in a cat and mouse chase for a bit before shrugging and continuing whatever it was they were doing.

* * *

 _Later_

After a long game of Cat and Mouse with Camicazi, Hiccup managed to recover his sword from the thieving Bog Burglar heir and is now headed to the Cove where the three dragons, two Changewings and a Zippleback, were currently using as a home.

' _She's gotten better, I'll give her that.'_ Hiccup thought to himself as he strolled around the forest. Truthfully, it had taken the sudden arrival of his friends and him hiding away from Camicazi's sight to make the Bog Burglar heir leave herself open for Hiccup to quickly snatch his sword back and make a run for the forest.

Hiccup then opened up a mental link to the two Changewings, Invy and Sibel. _Hello, Changewing siblings._

It was an easier calling to refer to the two dragons so Hiccup started using it when he's talking to both of them. Invy was the eldest between the two siblings and is a girl while Sibel was the younger brother.

The connection flared to life as the two dragons replied. _**Greetings, human leader.**_

This was a neat little trick he had discovered with the dragons. Apparently, this was how the queen(Or tyrant, as the dragons say) stayed in touch and in control with her dragons. She also apparently didn't like losing one of her feeders as she had sent a Monstrous Nightmare in Hiccup's way. Or, to be more specific according to the Stoker class Dragon's words, _"Find out whoever dared usurp the queen's command over one of her subjects."_. Luckily, the Monstrous Nightmare had been dealt with after he had softened the queen's control over the dragon and had made him sworn to secrecy. Hopefully, he wasn't eaten because if he did, Hiccup would feel really guilty about that.

Anyway, enough about the tyrannical and cannibalistic hell-spawn. _I assume you are all in good health as of late?_

 _ **More or less.**_ Hiccup felt Invy's technical shrug through the link. Even though dragons can't shrug the same way as humans, it still felt like the dragon had shrugged according to his experience in the mental link.

 _ **To suddenly form a connection with a human is... Unsettling, to be honest.**_ Was Sibel's reply. _**Although I suppose this is better than whatever you did to the Zippleback.**_

Hiccup winced. _Uh... How's Trick and Treat, by the way?_

Hiccup felt irritation through the link. _**He's still doing as he had been told.**_

Hiccup groaned and shared the two dragon's irritation. _I see... I shall deal with that immediately._ Hiccup then cut off his connection with the two Changewing siblings and connected to the two-headed dragon's connection. _Trick, Treat. Report_

Hiccup suddenly felt unbridled joy from the link. _**New Leader! It is so good to hear your voice once more!**_ Was the simultaneous and overenthusiastic reply of the two-headed dragon.

Hiccup groaned in annoyance. _I heard from the Changewings siblings that you mutton-heads were still carrying out the task I gave you several hours ago. Is that true?_

 _ **Bah!**_ Hiccup felt the mental huff from Trick. _**Those lazy dragons wouldn't know true loyalty even if they saw it with their own two eyes!**_ That was Treat adding in his two cents **(Or something, I don't really know how the saying actually goes)**.

Hiccup rolled his eyes in response. This was Hiccup's main problem with the two-headed dragon. His connection with them had been... Overly done, for a lack of better words, and so the Zippleback had been practically acting like an overzealous servant ever since. It had its advantages, such as the two-headed dragon had no qualms with doing even the most menial and/or mundane task Hiccup could give them, but the downside is that it was really annoying. Speaking of tasks, the task he had given them was to rearrange the piles in an orderly manner. What they most likely did, if Hiccup's past experience was of anything to go by, they had separated the metal from the non-metal, then divided it into salvageable and _not_ salvageable(Hiccup truly regretted teaching the Zippleback that lesson), and then separated them even more by size and color.

Yes, they truly were very overzealous.

Anyway, back to the present. _Cease your actions and return back to the Cove._ He sent the mental command to the dragon.

 _ **As you command, New Leader!**_ Yet again, very overenthusiastic reply there. That was the last message the dragon had sent before Hiccup ended the link.

Hiccup then quickened his earlier slowed pace towards the Cove. It really didn't take long to reach his destination as he had already been near at the Cove while he had been having a mental conversation with the three dragons. He entered through a small opening of the Cove and saw the two Changewings relaxing near the lake. He suppose the place _was_ a nice place to simply relax. It was a beautiful place with only Hiccup knowing the precise way of getting here. Of course, with a bit of time, anyone could find their way here, but so far Hiccup had been the only one who knew of this place's existence.

"Invy, Sibel." Hiccup called out to the Changewing siblings.

The two dragons looked at him in response. **"Hello, human leader."** Invy greeted, followed by Sibel saying the exact greeting a second later.

"I see you two are growing more and more comfortable in this place." Hiccup said as he gave the two dragons a smile.

" **Yes. This place is far better than that cave from two years ago."** Sibel replied, nodding his head. Invy agreed with the statement.

Hiccup laughed, but then stopped as he suddenly felt another presence that wasn't familiar to him. It felt like a prick in his mind as a flash of snowy blue appeared in his vision. "It appears we have a visitor" He said as the two dragons growled in response. "Why don't you invite them in, Invy?" He told the older Changewing sibling who nodded and vanished from his sight.

He crossed his arms as he waited for Invy to return with the intruding dragon. Truthfully, he was quite curious with this one. All the other dragons he had encountered were either a dull grey or a burning red. This was the first time he had encountered a snowy blue colored Connection.

" **I have retrieved the intruder!"** Invy roared as she returned with the intruder.

Hiccup nodded as he turned to face Invy. "Good. Now, I have a couple of questions to ask... You..." He trailed off as he finally saw what Invy had been referring to as the Intruder.

' _It can't be...'_ Hiccup thought with shock as he took in the intruder's appearance. _'This is not possible... You shouldn't be here!'_ He yelled in his thoughts, eyes widening and his jaw dropping.

For the person standing before him... Was Hiccup's mother.

* * *

 _Earlier_

The Stranger **(You guys don't mind if I refer to her as Valka now, right? I'm sure you guys already know at this point.)** had finally arrived at the Village of Berk. The place where she once called home, now merely a place that reminded her of both joyful and painful times. Her dragon, Cloudjumper the Stormcutter, had dropped her off on one of the roofs of the houses, thankfully they weren't noticed as the area they had separated for the moment had been devoid of people, and now she stealthily jumped from roof to roof, in search of one certain person.

Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III(To this day, she still regretted traditionally naming her son as the runt of the litter, as the saying goes), her only child. She knows she shouldn't have done this, it was breaking her promise. The promise to never return to Berk, as she believed it was better that the people of Berk believed her to be dead. However, that one person, her son to be exact, was what drove her to break her promise.

Her son... Oh her sweet dear child...

She just couldn't... She had to... She just had to see him. Those were her thoughts as she flew from the King's domain and towards Berk. Hiccup haunted her every year she spent away from human contact... Well, friendly human contact, but you know what she meant!

Half of the nights she slept were filled with dreams of her child's joyful face and sometimes those would suddenly disappear in a flash of dragon fire as the dream turned into a nightmare. Every time she sees a mother dragon and her hatchling, she would be reminded of Hiccup, the poor dear child she thought she would never see again... Until now, that is. Memories, though slightly faded, would sometimes resurface in Valka's thoughts. Her son quickly calming down after being upset as she rocked him gently and sang the babe a lullaby, her son happily(most of the time anyway) eating as she playfully fed him food, and her trying to make him laugh(Which most of the time ended in complete failure as Hiccup just gave her a confused stare, but they were still cherished!), among other memories that she had made in the short amount of time she spent with her child.

She just _had_ to see him. At least see what he looked like now just this once. What kind of mother would she be if she didn't even so much as see her own son? And so, with her mind made up(although a tiny part of her argued with her the entire way to Berk), she mounted herself on Cloudjumper, the dragon suddenly sounding a bit eager to visit until halfway into their journey for reasons that eludes her, and flew to Berk.

So, as of now, she leapt from rooftop to rooftop, silently thanking Odin **(Or plot convenience, in my case)** that the villagers were simply too preoccupied with their various tasks to be bothered with even so much as spare a passing glance at the rooftops she was leaping on. She had a few close-calls, but her years of training had thankfully saved her from being spotted.

Apparently, the villagers of Berk don't really need to look up unless they heard a dragon's roar or the sky would suddenly darken due to a dragon's shadow.

Anyway, she had spent several minutes **(I still don't know how you can tell time here)** leaping from roof to roof in search of her son. She knew it wouldn't be easy. Simply relying on Hiccup's face as a babe twelve years ago wouldn't really get her far, and so she opted for looking at the boys that she could possibly relate as Hiccup. It was hard to accomplish as she has no clue whether Hiccup would take after his father(strong, large, and mighty) or after her(Thin and Un-Viking like in practically every way), but she didn't let that impede her search for the boy.

So far, she only saw one. A scrawny-looking boy with auburn hair wearing a green tunic and a fur vest that draped over his shoulder with a sword sheathed in a scabbard safely secured on his waist as he conversed with a girl of the same age as the boy that Valka was certain she didn't belong in the Hairy Hooligan Tribe. The boy was almost like her, in terms of appearance. He had the same auburn hair and the same build... She watched closely, but not too close as to expose herself to the villagers, as the two conversed with each other...

But then immediately winced as the girl elbowed the boy that was Valka's main suspect as her son on the stomach. She watched with slight horror(Hey, you would too if you see your child, even though Valka only suspects the boy as her son, get hurt by someone) as the boy nursed his pained stomach and then mutter something Valka couldn't really hear from this distance before being smacked in the head by the same girl. She then watched as the girl angrily talked with the boy before silently stealing his sword. The girl then quickly ran off to someplace, likely to get away from the boy. Valka will admit, if she hadn't been focusing much on the conversation between the two, she likely wouldn't have noticed the girl's theft either.

She then decided to follow the boy as he could possibly be what she had been looking for in the first place. It was the best bet she has, after all. None of the others matched her perceived description of her child, except for that one boy who was now chasing after the girl.

It was... Kind of amusing to watch as the boy chased after the running girl who took his sword... And they kind of looked a bit cute too.

Later, the boy had managed to snatch his sword back from the blonde girl, but only because a group of children had passed by and noticed the thieving girl. She recognized one of them as a Jorgenson, if the face was of any indication. The boy definitely had Spitelout's appearance, but none of them interested her one bit. What she _was_ interested in was the fact that the boy she had been following had made a run towards the forest. Now _this_ she has to see. Her curiosity was too much, and the possibility that the boy could be her son was too great to pass up. She quickly followed the boy and entered the forest where, shortly after, she found Cloudjumper making himself comfortable on a small clearing with a small pond nearby.

"Cloudjumper." Valka called out to her dragon companion. The dragon looked at her in response and barked happily in response.

" **Finally! I was beginning to think you've been captured, you know."** Cloudjumper moaned, nuzzling his human friend.

Valka giggled at the action but then focused more on her objective. "I think I found him, Cloudjumper. It _has_ to be him." She said as she mounted herself on Cloudjumper's back.

" **If you say so..."** Cloudjumper crooned a bit hesitantly as he took flight. He knew his rider had been searching for her hatchling(Or son, as she says) and, truthfully, he too had been eager to see what he looked like too. He hadn't forgotten his encounter with the small human hatchling twelve years ago and was curious about him. However, he suddenly had second thoughts halfway through their journey, but since they're here, he has no choice but to go along with it.

Truthfully, he had been getting weird feelings ever since he found three dragons that differed from the rest of the wild dragons that inhabit the island of Berk. Their Connection was... Different. You see, when peering into a wild dragon's Connection, it is colored a dull grey, signifying its unaligned status. However, when a dragon is in service of a dragon who could actively control the connection, they, along with the other dragons under the same condition, share the same colour. Much like the King's snowy blue colored Connection. However, those three certain dragons were different. Whereas he mostly saw grey Connections, those three, two Changewings and a Zippleback, were that of an emerald green.

Most unusual indeed, as the only dragon the Stormcutter had sensed that could actively control the Connection was the Queen of a nearby nest he and his rider had passed by earlier, and believe him, it was not a pleasant feeling he had felt through the Connection when he viewed it.

Anyway, when he had traced the source of the unusual Connection, it suddenly disappeared from his view. He could, of course, sense a link through the Connection flare to life before suddenly it was cut off and reopened to another dragon that shared the same Connection before being cut off once more. Cloudjumper felt uneasy, but didn't let his emotions stop his rider from continuing her search.

Now, both Cloudjumper and Valka found themselves outside of a Cove. This was where Cloudjumper had found two out of the three odd dragons that shared the emerald green coloured Connection. What could they be doing here?

Cloudjumper didn't have enough time to think about his own question as Valka suddenly leapt from his back and into the edges of the Cove **(It's kind of hard to describe, given my inexperience)**. **"What are you doing?!"** The Stormcutter barked at his rider as silent as he could as to not alert the two dragons and the human hatchling that just appeared.

Valka didn't reply as she stared at the boy that she suspected as her son, Hiccup. She watched with surprise as her son _talked_ to the two Changewings. Out of all the possibilities that Valka had thought up in her head, this was certainly something she didn't expect to encounter. She stared, slightly dumbstruck, as the boy conversed with them as if he _understood_ them. Although Valka could technically understand what her dragon wanted to say, she never really completely understood what her dragon companion says most of the time. She could, at best, make an accurate guess of what Cloudjumper wants to tell her.

She then heard a brief laughter from the boy before it stopped. She watched in confusion as one of the Changewings disappeared using their Camouflage ability. A few seconds later, Valka suddenly felt herself being lifted from her position and dragged towards the boy.

" **Valka!"** Cloudjumper roared in fright as his rider was carried by the Changewing. He then took action by flying towards the Changewings and the boy, ready to protect his human friend from whatever the boy and two dragons would do to Valka.

"What—?!" She was unable to finish as the dragon dropped her just a few meters away behind the boy. She heard the Changewing roar at the boy while she quickly got up.

"Good. Now, I have a couple of questions to ask... You..." The boy trailed off as he looked at Valka. The boy's eyes widened and his jaw dropped as he took in Valka's appearance. At that proximity, Valka could see the one proof that she needed to confirm her suspicion.

A tiny, near invisible, white scar on the boy, _her son's_ , chin.

"Well..." Hiccup started. "I didn't expect to see you here." The surprised preteen continued. " _Especially so early_..." He added in a whisper.

Valka didn't reply as she was too busy thinking about _how this is her son she was talking to right now!_ She couldn't believe it. After all these years, he took after her.

"If you're here..." Hiccup mused, suddenly looking frightful. "Then Cloud—?!" He was interrupted by a loud roar as the dragon in question, Cloudjumper, descended from the sky and then between Hiccup and Valka.

Hiccup shrieked in surprise and fell on the ground. "You!" He shouted, pointing at the Stormcutter.

 **"Touch her, and I'll rip you apart, hatchling!"** Cloudjumper roared at him aggressively, causing the two Changewings to hiss at the Stormcutter.

"Cloudjumper, stop!" Valka shouted, but her words fell in deaf ears as her dragon friend roared at her son once more.

Hiccup's left eye faintly glowed green as his distress was sent throughout the Connection. Invy, Sibel, and Trick and Treat all felt the distress and suddenly their instincts flared to life. The two Changewing siblings roared at the Stormcutter and leapt between Hiccup and Cloudjumper.

" _ **New Leader!"**_ Both of the Zippleback's heads roared as they descended to the ground and formed along with the other dragons to protect Hiccup.

"Cloudjumper, stop!" Valka repeated, sensing the hostility between the four dragons. "You're only making it worse!" She added, stepping beside her dragon companion and trying to stop him from making the situation worse.

Hiccup breathed in and out as he calmed his beating heart. He stood up and cleared his throat. "Invy, Sibel, Trick and Treat. Stand down." He ordered the three dragons.

" _ **But—!"**_ All three dragons didn't get to finish their protest as Hiccup's left eye flared with a bright green glow for a second.

" _Now!_ " Hiccup yelled, sending a mental command through the Connection. He didn't wish to do this as it felt wrong to just command his dragons like this, but it was necessary in this situation, or so Hiccup concluded. All three dragons reluctantly complied as they backed down. "My apologies. My friends are a bit overprotective of over me." Hiccup stated, gesturing to the three dragons.

"No, no." Valka, although she didn't knew that Hiccup/Henry knows it's her, replied. " _I'm_ the one who should be sorry on behalf of my dragon." She added.

" **It looked like they were going to hurt you! How was I supposed to react?!"** Cloudjumper protested.

" **You were intruding in our territory!"** Invy hissed.

" **How were** _ **we**_ **supposed to react to that?!"** Sibel shot back.

"Enough. All of you." Hiccup commanded causing the two Changewings to stand down and keep quiet and for Clodujumper to look at him strangely.

So _this_ was the source of the weird Connection from earlier. Cloudjumper was dumbstruck to find that a human was the source. It was highly impossible! No human, even just any dragon, could possibly create a Connection! Only the Kings and Queens could! And yet... This human... What his human companion had suspected to be her son... He has control over the Connection like the Alphas. Granted, it was nowhere near the level the Kings and Queens could do(Heck, it'll probably an insult to the dragons to compare the boy's Connection with theirs), but it was still surprising that a human could even _posses_ a Connection. This was unprecedented!

Anyway, while Cloudjumper is busy with his thoughts, Hiccup decided to strike a conversation with his mother. "So... Who are you?" He asked as he crossed his arms. Of course, he knew who she was. He just decided that it'd be really suspicious that He would immediately recognize the woman before him as his mother if she hadn't even took off her mask to show her face yet.

"My name is no importance to you as of now." The woman replied.

' _So you're playing the stranger card, huh?'_ Hiccup thought as he narrowed his eyes at Valka. "Then do you know who I am?" Hiccup decided to ask.

Valka nodded. "I know who you are, son of Stoick the Vast." She answered.

Hiccup would've laughed at the matter-of-fact answer had he been a lesser dignified person. Instead, he let out a dry chuckle. "How queer... I would've thought the mysterious vigilante dragon person would've been better informed than that conventional information." He teased.

For a moment, Hiccup could've sworn that Valka giggled at the reference to her person. "Refer to me as you wish." She stated. She then looked at the three dragons that had placed themselves behind Hiccup. "I didn't think you'd be so friendly with dragons." She added.

"Not exactly common knowledge, I assure you." Hiccup said. He then decided to see what was the woman's goals in coming here. "However, I would like to know: What's someone like you doing in this part of the archipelago?" He asked.

"I was... Looking for someone." Valka answered, feeling a bit unnerved by her son's almost piercing stare.

' _So he came looking for me.'_ Hiccup concluded as his eyes softened on their gaze. "I see... Were you successful?" He inquired, although the answer was obvious to him as she's standing here looking at her son right now.

"Somewhat... But I'm not too sure if I should reveal myself to him right now." Valka cautiously answered. She wouldn't want Hiccup to make a realization that he was talking to his mother. It would be best if he didn't know...

Although, as you readers know, it was a wasted effort with Hiccup/Henry's knowledge about her. The auburn haired preteen merely decided to play along with her.

"I see... In my opinion, do it discreetly." Hiccup replied with a shrug. "Make sure only he knows. After all, whoever he is, he'll probably be happy to see you... I think." He added.

"You... Think so?" She asked, rather hesitant to accept such an idea.

"It is up to you." Hiccup shrugged. "From the looks of it, you've been on a rather long journey if you needed a dragon to come here to Berk. If I were you, I'd make the most of my visit." He suggested.

Valka contemplated on that. On one hand, she really wanted to let her son know that she's alive. She could finally lift that heavy weight off her chest, and her son would be so happy to see her. She could at least lift the crushing feeling(Only sometimes when she thinks about Stoick and Hiccup) of isolation. However, she's afraid that Hiccup would hate her. Not because she sided with Berk's most hated enemy, but because she had been alive all this time and never returned until now. After a moment of contemplation, she decided that now would not be the time. Maybe in the future but... Not now. "I'll think about it." She replied.

Hiccup nodded. "If you so choose." He said with another shrug. _'Oh well... I suppose some things aren't meant to be.'_ He thought as he looked up in the sky. _'Hm... I need to go now. The others might worry and look for me.'_ He added in his thoughts as he returned his gaze back to his mother. "I'm truly sorry. I need to go, lest the others back at the village look for me and discover us." He stated.

"I see..." Valka tried to hide the disappointment in her voice. "Me and Cloudjumper needed to go back too." She said as she hopped on her dragon friend's back.

"May we meet again soon." Hiccup waved goodbye as Cloudjumper took off to the sky. However, before he left, Cloudjumper looked at Hiccup and saw that the boy had given him a knowing smirk. Hiccup made a mental link with him and the Stormcutter. _See you in the future, Cloudjumper. Hope you still remember me after twelve years._

Cloudjumper's eyes widened as he didn't expect that mental reply from the human child. "Come on, Cloudjumper. We have to get back to the sanctuary." Valka told her dragon friend.

Cloudjumper shook his head and complied . _**'How could he—... This doesn't make any sense!'**_ Needless to say, it was a confusing day for the Stormcutter.

Hiccup stared at the disappearing figures of his mother and her dragon, and then sighed to himself. "If only..." He muttered to himself.

" **Are you unharmed, New Leader?"** Trick asked as he inspected the preteen.

"Yes, I'm fine. Anyway, I need to go now. See you three... Or four... Tomorrow." Hiccup said as he started walking out of the Cove.

" _ **We shall await your return."**_ All three dragons stated as Hiccup exited the Cove.

On the way and when he was sure no one can see him, Hiccup had a mental panic. "What the fuck?! How the fuck is she here?! She shouldn't be here!" He yelled, grabbing and pulling at his hair in frustration. "This is just _fucking_ great! As if I needed more unprecedented events in my new life! Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!" He cursed loudly as he stomped on the ground repeatedly.

Valka shouldn't be here. Although Hiccup felt slightly happy to see his mother is alive and well, it was another major change in his plans. Who knows what kind of changes his mother's sudden presence would bring?! Hiccup could just imagine the large amount of headaches he's gonna be having in the future. This. Is. Just. Great!...

Hiccup performed his calming down technique number one: Breath in, Breath out. "Okay... Maybe it's not all bad. I... I can make this work... Yeah! I _can_ make work this work, or my name wasn't Henry H. Haddock!" The preteen proclaimed, raising his fist in the air.

And so, Hiccup went back to the village and into his small workshop to plan for the future.

* * *

 **A/n: Well! Looky here, I did another thing! Valka appearing early?! Unbelievable! I'm causing all kinds of changes! Mwuhahahahaha! Also, I'm gonna be getting a lot of headaches coming up with progress for this one... Ugh... But anyway! Hope you guys enjoyed it and tell me what you think of the sudden changes I did! Bye bye~! Oh, and before I forget, sorry for the horrible names, I'm not good at naming.**

 **...**

 **Oh, wait... I still have somethings for you guys!**

* * *

 _Preview for a story arc(I think that's what it's called) that I may or may not do_

Hiccup was feeling very queasy. His head feels like a hammer had struck it, and his stomach felt like it was going on a roller coaster. He should know what the last part felt like as he had been to one in previous life.

"Enjoying the view, Haddock?" Camicazi teased as she stood beside the seasick Hooligan heir.

" _Hurp..._ " Hiccup forced down the bile that was coming up his throat, it tasted disgusting. "How did you manage to talk me into this again?" He asked as felt his stomach groan in displeasure.

"I didn't. I dragged you along, remember?" Camicazi replied, smirking at Hiccup's despair.

"Oh... Right..." Hiccup groaned as he once more felt bile come up. He then made a break for the nearest bucket and emptied the contents of his stomach in said bucket.

"The _great_ and _awesome_ Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III is seasick? I thought for sure he was made of tougher stuff." Camicazi teased. "Then again... You are a boy." She added.

"First off, I never said that. Second, fuck you, Camicazi." Hiccup replied.

"So soon? Hunt me some dinner first, and then we'll talk about that." Camicazi teased once more and then followed it with a laugh.

Hiccup could only groan in both discomfort as he felt the boa they were in shift a bit and in irritation towards the teasing Bog Burglar heir. "You're lucky I think you're cute, you damn blonde thief..." Hiccup muttered under his breath.

* * *

 _Preview 2_

"Argh!"  
"What are you doing just standing there?! Get him!"  
"He's too fast!"

Sounds of screams and the whooshing sounds a sword would make as it slashes its opponents can be heard filling the air.

"What kind of monster is this boy?!"  
"Gah! Get him off me!"

The screams died down as the men were mercilessly cut down by a blur with a sword in its hand. Once the job was done, the blur immediately ceased its actions and looked around to survey the damage. There were a lot of damages actually. Several pirates litter the floor with slash and strike wounds found in their bodies, the floor had been drenched in blood as they leaked out of the wounded bodies, and practically everywhere you could find a slash mark across the wooden walls and floors of the ship.

The teen then turned his gaze towards a very shocked crew of girls. The most notable of them is Camicazi's face which sported wide eyes and an open mouth in surprise. "Huh..." The teen scratched his head as he looked at the damages and then turned his gaze onto his blood tattered sword. "I guess I must've lost it." He said.

* * *

 **A/n: What do you guys think? Should I do it? Please respond or PM me your reply. I really do wish to know what you'd like to happen. Anyway, let me explain to you guys my self-made 'Connection' thingy.**

 **The Connection is sort of like a hive mind for dragons. However, the key differences being is that its like a hive mind, except it only functions like that under certain conditions. As you've been told in the story, only dragons like the Red Death and the Bewilderbeast could make the Connection function like a hive mind. And, as you now know, wild dragons have a dull grey colored Connection signifying their unaligned status, unlike Hiccup/Henry's Connection that is emerald green or the Red Death's burning red colored connection, or the Bewilderbeast's snowy blue colored connection. The colors of the 'Connection' differ to each and is sort of a telepathic link between the controller and those with the same Connection. The Connection is a pretty basic thing that all dragons know of, but those who are wild rarely use these, apart from notifying them about the condition of their fellow dragons. More will be discussed, if needed.**


	8. So it begins! Look, Toothless is here!

_Fourteen years after Hiccup's birth_

 _'Another day, another raid.'_ Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, or Henry as he was known in his previous life, grumbled in his thoughts as he lazily walked up to the door of his house with Endeavor strapped into his waist. He pushed the door open...

But then immediately closed it before a Monstrous Nightmare could turn him into roasted Viking/future Dragon Rider. "Could it be...?" Hiccup whispered to himself, his heart suddenly becoming filled with excitement. The excited Hooligan heir then burst open the door and rushed out of his house(Which was on fire once again).

While he was looking around the scene, all the while dodging and avoiding other Vikings, he was too distracted with his own emotions that he did not notice a Gronckle firing a blast that sent a random Viking to the air and falling down on the boy causing the boy to fall to the ground. " _Ragh!_ Morning!" The random Viking greeted before taking off as quickly as he appeared in Hiccup's vision.

 _'It is!'_ Hiccup whooped in his thoughts as he got up. With excitement filling him, he ignored all the commotion that was happening all around him which, in turn, gave him another tally in the _"How many times Hiccup was nearly roasted by a dragon"_ by a Deadly Nadder flying overhead with its magnesium flame lighting up the ground that the distracted Hiccup would've walked into had it not been for a large hand that grabbed Hiccup by the scruff of his tunic.

It was Stoick! He did not look happy to see him though...

"Hiccup! What is he doing out agai—!" He stopped that last sentence which was directed at whoever was near enough to hear his shout and decided to direct the question at Hiccup. "What are you doing out?! Get inside!" He ordered Hiccup and then threw him off as he observed a Nadder flying about. The large man then grabbed the nearby object he could get his hands on and threw it at the dragon.

 **"Ow!"** The pained yelp of the dragon caused Hiccup to flinch before the boy ran off.

"What've we got?" Stoick asked as he turned to another Viking.

"Gronckles, Nadders, Zipplebacks, oh, and Hoark saw a Monstrous Nightmare." The Viking answered before ducking with his shield as a nearby explosion took place and had a tiny flaming debris land on Stoick's shoulder.

"Any Night Furies?" Stoick asked, brushing of the flaming debris off his shoulder.

"None so far." The Viking replied, taking off the shield he used for cover.

"Good."

Back with Hiccup, the boy was running towards the forge as fast as his legs could carry him while Vikings light up and raise the large torches to light up the sky. After a few seconds of running, Hiccup reached his destination, coming to a quick stop as he stepped inside the forge where a busy Gobber greeted him.

"Oh! Nice of you to join the party! I thought you've been carried!" Gobber joked as he hammered down a bent sword.

Hiccup laughed. "Who? Me? Nah, I'm _way_ too fast for them to catch. I can outrun anybody." He replied with amusement as he finished putting on his blacksmith apron and then placed a rather large(for someone of his case anyway) spiked hammer back into its spot on the wall.

"Not fast enough in the common sense department, I'll bet." Gobber joked.

"What nonsense. I'll be surprised if any of you meat-heads are better than me when it comes to common sense." Hiccup retorted as he opened up the window where Vikings are waiting outside who then tossed their broken weapons at Hiccup's waiting hands.

Back with Stoick, the man with other Vikings carrying around either sheep or their own weapons. "We move to the lower defenses. We'll counter-attack with the catapults." Stoick commanded to the men with him as they moved. Suddenly, a Monstrous Nightmare flew overhead and lit a house in fire with its flame breath.

"Fire!" Shouted another random Viking which was the cue that the _"Fire Brigade"_ (Honestly, Hiccup still struggles to contain his laughter whenever he hears that) which consisted of Hiccup's fellow peers needed to take action.

You have Fishlegs Ingerman; a husky boy about the same age as Hiccup with blond hair. Then, you have Snotlout Jorgenson; a rather muscular boy that is most likely a year older than his cousin. Next, the Thorston twins, Tuffnut and Ruffnut. In physic, they have about the same thin, and rather lean, body build as the other with the same age as Hiccup as well. Finally, but certainly not the least, you have Astrid Hofferson; a blonde shield-maiden that surprisingly carries a petite physical build for a Viking. Don't let it fool you though as this merely grants her the advantage in agility among her peers(Minus Hiccup who can run circles around her, but that's neither here nor there). Unlike most of her peers, she carries around her axe just like Hiccup would with Endeavor.

So, those people made up the _"Fire Brigade"_ who were people tasked to minimize the amount of fire caused by the dragons therefore minimizing the damages dealt by said fire. You know, now that Henry had thought about it, if original Hiccup had thought about the specific role of Astrid and the others, he wouldn't have stated that their job was so much cooler than his.

I mean, come on! They're dousing fires that are gonna damage the house to the point where they needed repairs anyway so it was pretty repetitive and futile job. Not to mention the amount of running you had to do to get from one house to the other.

Anyway, as Hiccup amusingly watched from the forge, he was then suddenly picked up by the scruff his tunic by Gobber. "Not so fast, Hiccup." Gobber's words were enough to send Hiccup back to the task at hand.

"What now, Gobber? I've been good this past few raids." Hiccup groaned as his limbs practically dangled in the air as Gobber lifted him up.

"Oh, you have!" Gobber rolled his eyes. "What about the time when you set Hoark's house on fire?" He asked.

"That was the dragon's fault, not mine. You know that, Gobber."

"Or the time when you were being chased by Terrible Terrors?" Gobber asked again.

"I keep telling you, it was a controlled experiment!"

"Then there's the time when you nearly got barbecued by a Monstrous Nightmare."

"Okay, admittedly, that was sort of my fault, but you get the idea!"

Gobber shook his head. "Nope. You're staying here like a good little Viking. Stoick will kill me if he finds out I let you go again." He said with a tone of finality.

"Come on, Gobber. Just give me some time, and I'll become the most one of a kind Viking there is in this island." Hiccup pleaded. Of that, he was certain.

"I have confidence you will, Hiccup. But today is not that day, unfortunately for you." Gobber stated.

 _'Yes it is! This is, quite literally, the most important and game-changing day of Hiccup's, or in my case, MY life!'_ Was what Hiccup would've yelled had he been someone who was of lesser control of his own actions. Instead, this was his reply, "No. Today is the day I finally test this out." The boy declared as he stepped back and patted his _tightly_ wrapped ' _Bola Launcher'_.

After a good three seconds of patting, the wrapping did not come undone and launch a Bola on a random Viking's face who was conveniently standing outside the forge.

"There'll be plenty of times to do that, Hiccup. But not today." Gobber stated.

Hiccup opened his mouth to retort, but then paused a bit to consider his next words. "... Fine, Gobber. If you insist. All good little Vikings must sit still and stay safe." Hiccup sighed.

Gobber nodded with satisfaction. "Good."

* * *

 _With Stoick_

We go back to Stoick who was on top of one of the platforms that held Catapults used to strike at the dragons. He was with a few Vikings.

"They found the sheep!" One of them, more specifically the Catapult operator, shouted as a Zippleback flew over.

Stoick grunted. "Concentrate fire over the lower bank!" He commanded as he and other Vikings turned the Catapult towards their target.

"Fire!" The Catapult Operator shouted as they found their target which was followed by the Catapult hurling a boulder at an unfortunate Deadly Nadder who was about to nab a sheep.

Suddenly, a shadow flew beside them. Stoick searched the area and then noticed light coming from beneath them. He saw a Monstrous Nightmare that had climbed up the Catapult while using its signature _"Flame Cloak"_ , as Hiccup had called it, ability. "Reload! I'll take care of this." He said, raising his hammer as the ferocious dragon neared him. He then proceeded to smack his hammer on the cheeks of the dragon twice before sidestepping to avoid the dragon snapping at him with its sharp-toothed maw. Both Stoick and the dragon then heard a sharp whistling sound causing the Monstrous Nightmare to withdraw. That sound can only mean one thing...

Back with Hiccup who was sharpening a sword to pass the time, he suddenly heard the famous(Or infamous, in a Viking's case)sound caused by the-

"Night Fury!"

"Get down!"

 ***KA-BOOM!*** There goes the Catapult tower! It was so fast, no one saw the blast hit the tower, let alone _see_ the attacker, but the Catapult had been destroyed.

"Jump!" Stoick yelled as he jumped from the now-crumbling tower.

Hiccup looked out the window and saw the flaming and utterly destroyed Catapult. "Whoa..." Hiccup breathed out in awe.

Another sharp whistling sound and—

 ***KA-BOOM!*** The catapult tower was yet again hit with another blast from the unseen attacker, completely shattering the structure.

"So cool..." Hiccup murmured as a wide grin formed in his mouth and his heart pounded faster with excitement. He then tore himself away from the view. "Right... The launcher." He told himself as he walked away from his spot. He then saw Gobber replacing his blacksmith hammer with his battle axe prosthetic.

"Man the fort, Hiccup. They need me out there." Gobber told the boy as he started leaving the forge. Before he left though, he turned around to face the boy. "Stay. Put. There." He told the boy who merely stared at him. "You know what I mean." The man shrugged before letting out a battle cry and joining the others.

"I did say all good little Vikings must sit still and stay safe, but..." Hiccup grinned as he took off his apron. "I'm not a Viking." He readied his invention and prepared to run.

"I'm a Dragon Rider."

And with those words, he ran out of the forge, _'Bola Launcher'_ in tow. He ignored the shouts of the other Vikings telling him to go back inside and ran to the destined location of the one event that will his change his life. He unwrapped his launcher and mounted himself on it, and then waited...

"Is this really a good idea...?" Hiccup asked himself. He could probably find some other way to meet Toothless but...

Hiccup squinted and spotted the silhouette of his target rushing through the air as it decided on another target. "Ah, fuck it." Hiccup mumbled as he took aim. "May the Gods and every single HTTYD fans forgive me for this..." He muttered as he closed his eyes and...

Fired.

The recoil coming from his weapon forced the boy to fall on the ground, but Hiccup immediately stood up to see if his launcher hit its mark. Sure enough, it did as he heard the familiar scream of the Night Fury being hit by the Bola and saw the black figure of the dragon disappear into the forest of Berk.

"Ah, Fuck! That felt so fucking horrible! Gods damn it! Forgive me Odin for I have sinned once again!" Hiccup wailed into the sky.

 **"Human..."** A growl came from behind Hiccup which caused the boy to freeze.

"Ah shit..." Hiccup cursed himself as he turned around to see a Monstrous Nightmare appear before him. He was about to run, until he felt the Connection from the dragon. "You... You're the one I nicknamed, Kickstarter, right?" He asked, staring at the dragon before him.

 **"You... Are that human who can control the Connection four years ago."** The Monstrous Nightmare stated, narrowing its eyes at Hiccup.

"Yes. It is I, Hiccup." Hiccup replied. "I am so glad to see you are here. I had thought you've been eaten by the Red Death." The boy said in relief.

 **"The tyrant..."** The dragon growled. **"I am desperate.** _ **We**_ **are desperate. Please, human... Help us!"** The dragon's eyes suddenly became frantic as it said those words.

"W-what do you mean?" Hiccup asked, taking a fearful step back.

 **"She is growing stronger... Our Connection, our** _ **will**_ **, is being taken over completely... She is controlling more of us..."** The dragon seemed to struggle to say those words as it shook its head. Hiccup felt Kickstarter's Connection suddenly becoming violent, as if two sides were fighting for control.

"Kickstarter! What's happening to you?!" Hiccup yelled as he took more steps back.

 **"..."** The Monstrous Nightmare didn't say anything. Its pupils shrunk to slits as it mindlessly stared at Hiccup. A look that Hiccup, or to be more precise, Henry had seen before in the second movie of HTTYD.

"Oh shit..." Hiccup murmured before turning around and breaking into a sprint. The dragon then soon gave chase.

" _FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!_ " Hiccup yelled as he avoided fire blasts and snapping jaws from the dragon. "Kickstarter! Please fight back! I know you're in there!" He yelled at the dragon, only receiving a snarl in return as he hid behind one of the large wooden poles that acted as the large torches to light up the night sky just in time before the dragon roasted him alive with a fire blast. He gasped in and out as he looked around to see if Kickstarter was still chasing him. He was certain that he was...

Except he forgot that the way he looked was the opposite direction as to where Kickstarter had appeared. A fact that Hiccup realized all too late as he whipped his head and stared at the eyes of the dragon. "Kickstarter..." The boy whispered, fear wrapping around his heart as the mindless stare of the dragon froze him. It would've been his end...

Had it not been for Stoick charging at the dragon and knocking it back. The dragon roared at the man who merely fixed the helmet on top of his head. It then tried breathing fire at Stoick, but all that came out was a choke as the dragon realized(Or as much as it could in its mindless state) it had ran out of shots.

"You're all out." Stoick stated before punching the dragon in the face and then sent it off with a kick. The resulting pained yelps that the dragon made caused Hiccup's heart to clench.

The wooden pole that Hiccup was hiding behind in suddenly snapped and fell to the side, revealing Hiccup who had snapped out of his shock and stared at his father. The giant torch then came off the wooden pole and tumbled down the place causing a few burns in some places, some minor injuries for unfortunate Vikings, and then finally releasing the dragons that were previously caught by nets.

Hiccup winced every time he heard a yelp from them. "Haha... That's probably the worst one I did." He said with a nervous chuckle.

They all watched as dragons freely fly away with all that they could carry and back to their island(Although they were, understandably, less than enthusiastic to say the least)...

"Uh... Okay, but I hit a Night Fury." Hiccup said before being grabbed at the scruff of his tunic by Stoick. "W-wait a second! I was being chased by a dragon! Those things are bound to happen!" The boy defended(albeit, rather weakly) as he was helplessly dragged by his father. "L-look, I'll even help in the repairs!"

" _Stop!_ " Stoick yelled, causing the boy to silence himself. "Just... Stop. Every time you step outside, disaster falls. Can you not see that I can't worry about you, _and_ help protect the village?" The man scolded the boy.

" _I_ can take care of myself, dad." Hiccup retorted, crossing his arms. "Look, it was a _very_ large accident, and I cannot deny that! I am very sorry for that fiasco, and I will do everything I can to fix that! Like I always do!" He continued.

"This isn't a joke, Hiccup!" Stoick sighed. "Why can't you follow the simplest orders?"

"Look, if it's about being abducted by Camicazi last year, then you have nothing to worry! I've improved over the last few months, and I'm quite certain no one can sneak up on me that easily!" Hiccup said as he raised his hands in defense.

"It's not just that, Hiccup!" Stoick argued before deciding that he has more important tasks to tend to(mainly the repair of the damaged parts of the village). "Get back to the house." He commanded the boy and then turned to Gobber. "Make sure he gets there."

"Don't bother." Hiccup said as he started walking to the direction of his house. "I'll walk there myself. It's clear that I'm not needed as of now." The boy sighed.

As the boy walked away, Stoick turned to the villagers. "Well?! We've got repairs to do! Get moving!" He yelled at them to which they all started scrambling to do so.

On the way, Hiccup saw the rest of his peers blocking his way. "Guys." He greeted in acknowledgement with a nod of his head.

"Wow, cousin. I've never seen anyone mess up that badly. That helped!" Snotlout laughed, however, he was the only one in a mocking mood.

Tuffnut walked over to him and then gave him a pat on the back. "That, my friend, was _really_ cool." The male Thorston twin stated.

Ruffnut gave Hiccup a pat on the back as well. "I agree. Who knew you could cause that much destruction?" She laughed.

"Uh... Good job out there, Hiccup?" Fishlegs at least tried to be nice. Astrid only shrugged, actually lost for words on what to say.

Hiccup rolled his eyes. "Yes, yes. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a Night Fury to find." The boy said as he pushed past them.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. You're serious?" Snotlout asked with an incredulous look on his face. "You really think you downed a Night Fury?"

"I know what I heard and saw, Snotlout." Hiccup shot back. "And I, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, shall find it! It's probably just off Raven Point, anyway." He shrugged as he continued onto his journey.

"Pft..." Snotlout rolled his eyes. "Honestly, of all the things he could claim, that has to be the worst and most unbelievable one ever."

"I don't know, Snotlout... He could be right." Astrid said as she then started following Hiccup.

"W-well, of course there is a possibility." Snotlout quickly took back his previous statement and followed Astrid which was then followed by the twins.

"Wait, you guys aren't seriously going after Hiccup." Fishlegs inquired, but followed suite nonetheless.

"Who knows? Maybe he's right. _I_ would like to see a Night Fury." Asrid replied with a shrug.

 _That_... Was something everyone agreed on.

* * *

 _Great Hall_

Everyone was gathered in the hall where they are planning their next move against the dragons. It was far too much for them. They have to find a way to strike back.

"Either we finish them or they'll finish us!" Stoick shouted.

There were mutters of agreement from the crowd with nodding of heads and grunts of approval.

"It's the only way we'll get rid of them," Stoick looked at the map before him. "If we find the nest and destroy it the dragons will leave. They'll find another home!" With the last words, he stabbed a dagger into the map where fog and dragons crept in, almost as if in an attempt to rid them from the canvas itself.

"One more search before the ice sets in." Stoick declared.

"Those ships never come back," A voice pointed out from the far side of the hall. Whispers and mumbles from the crowd arose. The thought of being lost at sea and being at the mercy of whatever comes across you... Many shuddered at the thought.

"We're Vikings. It's an occupational hazard." Stoick stated, trying to encourage the crowd. "Now who's with me?" He asked. The crowd went silent for a moment before groans and excuses to stay echoed in the hall's chambers.

"Alright, those who stay will look after Hiccup..." Stoick persuaded.

Well then... For some it was an easy choice. Hiccup wasn't really a bad kid or anything; it's just that things tend to get complicated whenever they're near the boy for too long. Nothing too bad, maybe an explosion from the forge from some crazy experiment the boy's trying out, or maybe that Bog Burglar girl would make another inexplicable visit to Berk which will result in some people being the ones unfortunate enough to be the girl's target for Burglary, or whatever else that could happen around the boy.

"And if anything happens to my son..." Stoick continued darkly with an icy glare to the crowd. "There will be more than just dragons that'll wish they can find a hole deep enough to hide themselves away from me." He finished as the crowd gulped in fear.

Hm... Stay behind and _possibly_ (I'm not saying it's certain but, you know, anything can happen!) face the wrath of Stoick the Vast, or go with him and let him focus his anger on anything else _but_ them. The answer became quite simple.

 _"To the ships!"_ All of the Vikings present raised their arms eagerly, willing to face the wrath of dragons rather than the wrath of Stoick the Vast. After all, scaly demons(In Viking perspective) are better opponents than one angry father who, mind you, is the Chief of the Tribe _and_ is freaking _Stoick the Vast_.

"Now that's more like it," He nodded at the crowd of _"willing"_ volunteers. Then, with the meeting over, all set off to make preparations for the voyage.

"Right, I'll pack my undies," Gobber, who was sitting on a table drinking from his prosthetic hand mug, said as he rose to follow.

"No, I need you to stay and train some new recruits," Stoick replied seating next to the half-limbed man.

"Oh perfect, yeah, and while I'm busy, Hiccup can cover the stall. Molten steel, razor-sharp blades, lots of time to himself. What could possibly go wrong?" Gobber dryly remarked, taking a swig of his drink. _'Hey, I remember Hiccup saying that almost ten years ago.'_

You know, now that I think about it, that does sound like Hiccup's gonna hurt himself if left alone with molten steel, razor sharp blades, and lots of time to himself. The _really_ hurtful kind.

"What am I going to do with him, Gobber?" Stoick sighed.

Seeing his friend's situation, Gobber decided to add in his two cents. "Ah you worry too much, Stoick. The boy's gonna be fine. In fact, I think he's ready to take Dragon Training with the others."

"No, I'm serious," Stoick remarked, giving his friend an unimpressed look.

"So am I." Gobber said back.

"He'd be killed by those damn beasts." Stoick's voice slightly cracked at the thought.

"Oh, you don't know that." Gobber gave Stoick a wave of dismissal.

"I do actually."

"No you don't."

"Yes, I do."

"No you don't! You've seen how the boy fights! He's faster than any of the recruits I'd planned to train!" Gobber, fed up with his friend's stubbornness, shouted.

Stoick lifted himself, pacing around the room. "Look, you know what he's like. From the time he could crawl he's been...Different." Stoick let out a sigh. "I mean, it isn't bad at all. He's smart, he's a good swordfighter, and he's quite friendly as shown with both Heirs of the Bog Burglars and Berserkers. It's just that he rarely takes anything seriously."

"So? He's _fourteen._ Why, I remember my days when I was his age." Gobber rolled his eyes. Oh yeah... When you're a Viking and is that young...

Stoick took a deep breath, recalling an event(Which I myself am still sceptical about) from the past. "When I was a boy..."

"Oh here we go..." Gobber groaned as he braced himself.

"My father told me to bang my head against a rock, and I did it! I thought it was crazy, but I didn't question him. And you know what happened?"

Gobber, who was too busy fishing out his fake tooth from his mug, only deadpanned. "You got a headache"

Stoick chose to ignore that. "That rock split in two. It taught me what a Viking could do, Gobber. He could crush mountains. Level forest. Tame seas!" He sat again. "Even as a boy, I knew what I was, what I had to become. Hiccup is not that boy." He sighed

"No, Stoick. I believe Hiccup _is_ that boy. You haven't been around him as long as I did. He knows things, and he does things in a way as if he knows what his future is. He just likes to keep things to himself." Gobber replied, recalling events that involved Hiccup's behavior. The boy was smart, perhaps too smart for someone of his age.

 _"If I take things too seriously, then what's the point of living the life granted to me by the Gods? I know who I'm supposed to be. In fact, I know it better than anyone."_

Gobber sighed knowingly. "You can't stop him, Stoick. You can only prepare him. He's likely just waiting for the perfect moment to show the world what he's got." He raised his hand out and put it on Stoick's shoulder. "I know it seems hard, but the truth is you won't always be around to protect him. He's going to get out there again, he's probably out there now."

Stoick's face took on a contemplative expression.

* * *

 _At the Forest_

"There is no way I'm going to convince you guys to go back to the village, isn't there?"

Hiccup, although a part of him was glad that they came with, was quite irritated when they decided to follow him to his destination. The reason that it took so long for Hiccup to find the Night Fury was that he had been trying to get away from his fellow peers. It involved turn backs, circling around, suddenly breaking into a sprint, and even hiding in his attempts to lose them. However, some way, somehow, they managed to find him every time. It took _hours._ Unfortunately for the boy, he was unable to lose them so he gave up on trying to do so and just let them follow him.

 _"Nope."_ Was the collective reply of the teens. Hiccup simply made a resigned sigh and simply threw his arms in the air as a way of saying, _"I give up."_

"So… Are you sure that you know where that Night Fury went down?" Snotlout asked.

"Yes, Snotlout. I have pinpointed its location, and I _would've_ found it already had I not spent those hours trying to lose you guys." Hiccup irritatingly replied.

"Wait… So those times you were making turns, circles, and loops wasn't really you finding the Night Fury?" Tuffnut asked.

" _Yes_." That single word was delivered in a tone that suggested that Hiccup does not wish to continue this conversation.

A couple of more quiet wanderings, Hiccup came to a stop. "Hiccup, why did you stop?" Astrid asked.

Hiccup said nothing as he surveyed his surroundings. He then landed his gaze on a tree… A bent tree to be exact. The others noticed it too and let out gasps. The tree was bent and showed signs of something _very_ big crashing through. The ground also had an unnaturally carved upwards pathway. "It's here." Hiccup stated as he continued forth with the others nervously following behind the boy. Once he reached the end of the trail left by the unnatural upwards pathway, he came to a halt once more. "There it is…" He muttered, just loud enough for the others to hear.

"Let me see!" Ruffnut quietly yelled as she pushed past all the boys and girl and came to a stop beside Hiccup. "Whoa…"

The others could only agree with her as they stared at the lying form of the infamous Night Fury. It was lying flat on its right side in a clearing near a large boulder and soft moss. It wasn't clear from their position, but they can see a Bola wrapped around the dragon.

' _Kind of like a plane crash.'_ Hiccup thought as he approached the dragon.

" _Hiccup!"_ Quietly yelled the group of teens.

Hiccup paid no heed to their call as he was tantalized at the creature before him. _'Whoa… Up close, he looks so cool!'_ Was the boy's thought as he knelt down beside the dragon.

The others then deemed it safe enough to approach as well as they got up from their position and walked beside Hiccup. "I don't believe it…" Snotlout murmured in disbelief.

"An actual Night Fury…" Fishlegs added.

"Right before our very eyes." Astrid finished.

" _Cool!"_ The twins collectively yelled before the others, minus Hiccup, shushed them.

' _So cool! Look at these well-detailed scales! Oh, and that awesome black coloration! To think I can see Toothless that isn't through a screen right before my very eyes!'_ Hiccup was too busy with his fanboying to hear any of the teens' words.

"Hey, Hiccup." Fishlegs shook the boy out of his trance.

"Whu?" Hiccup dumbly replied.

"What are you waiting for, cousin? Kill it, or I'm taking the kill myself!" Snotlout told Hiccup which caused the auburn haired boy to quickly stand up and glare at him.

"No one kills the Night Fury." Hiccup hissed, drawing out Endeavor from its scabbard. He then pointed the sword at the dragon as he contemplated on what to do. "No one interferes, I mean it. Do not make any moves against the dragon." He commanded the others who were then confused at the command, but decided to comply. He can't just free it, not with the others being here. Hiccup then decided to use his Connection and link it into the Night Fury's own. His vision darkened.

 _ **Hurt…**_

' _Gghhh…' Hiccup's heart clenched a bit as he felt the pained word from the dragon's Connection_

 _ **Pain… Fear… Wait, where am I?**_

Outside of Hiccup's perspective, the teens were confused at his sudden pause. They were then surprised when the dragon's eyes snapped open, and shifted a bit.

"It's alive!" Snotlout yelped in fear as he stepped back.

"What's he doing?!" Fishlegs gulped in fear, looking at Hiccup's still form.

 _ **Humans…? Oh no… Have to get away… Need to help others… Humans… They'll kill me!**_

 _Calm down, Dragon._ _Hiccup told the dragon as he 'touched' the wall of red before him and 'injected' his own Connection to it._

 _ **Someone is there… A fellow dragon…? No, only humans… Who is connecting to me?!**_

Astrid and the others stood back as the dragon suddenly started struggling while Hiccup remained still. "Uh… When is he gonna kill it?" Tuffnut fearfully asked.

"Hopefully soon." Astrid replied with uncertainty as she grabbed her axe in case the dragon made any move to attack. So far, the Bola that was holding it was doing a good job of keeping it from escaping.

 _ **Nononononononono!Havetoleavehavetoleavehavetoleavefearfearohsoveryafraidpainpainpainnononononono what are you doing to me?!**_

 _Hiccup struggled to release the dragon from the Red Death's control as it proved to be very difficult to do so with a panicking dragon._ _Hold still! Just a little bit more, and I can free you!_

 _ **Free…?**_

 _Yes. If you will allow my Connection to flow through yours, I can destroy the Red Death's hold over you._

 _ **But… You will enslave me as well!**_

 _No. We don't have much time, so please trust me on this._

… _**Okay**_ _ **.**_

 _And so, Hiccup managed to break the red wall in front of him and replaced it with a grayish green. A sign that the dragon was now connected to his Connection, but isn't like Trick and Treat that was wholly green, which was the reason for his overzealous attitude._ _Done._

Hiccup's vision then came back. He then looked behind him to see the trembling teens. "Oy, what are you guys shaking there for? It's fine." He assured them.

" _Fine?!_ It was moving!" Snotlout yelled, not bothering to control his voice.

"Yes, that's what happens when you wake up to find yourself tangled in Bolas and surrounded by unknown potentially dangerous creatures." Hiccup remarked while rolling his eyes.

"I-in any case, H-Hiccup, please k-kill it quickly!" Fishlegs stammered.

Hiccup turned his head to the dragon. His gaze then landed on the dragon's eye staring into his own, confusion and fear displayed clearly in those forest green eyes. He raised his sword…

Then, with a movement that was too fast to see in the group of teen's perspective, it looked like Hiccup had struck the Night Fury.

"You're free now, Night Fury." Hiccup stated.

" _What?!"_ All of the teens shouted.

The dragon then shot up and positioned itself on a crouching position against the group of humans. **"Humans! You will pay for what you've done to me!"**

 _Leave._ Hiccup commanded through the Connection.

The Night Fury looked at him with widened eyes. **"You can—?!"**

 _We will meet later. There is a Cove nearby with three other dragons that share the same Connection you and I have. Go to them, they will see to your well-being._ Hiccup told the dragon.

The Night Fury looked at him, and then to the cowering humans behind Hiccup. It then looked at Hiccup one more time before fleeing deeper into the forest, presumably to the Cove he had told it about. Hiccup let out a sigh of relief as he returned Endeavor back into its Scabbard and then turned to face the others. "Welp, that's that, let's go." He said as he began walking away.

"Wait, what?!" Snotlout yelled. "You just let that dragon go! Not just any dragon, but _the_ dragon! The freaking Night Fury, for Odin's sake!"

"Yes, I did. Do you have any problems with that?" Hiccup inquired, narrowing his eyes at Snotlout as he came to a halt.

"Uh, yeah! You're supposed to kill it! Not let it go!" Snotlout yelled, glaring at Hiccup.

"I have to agree on Snotlout on this one, Hiccup." Fishlegs said. "It was the perfect opportunity. Why didn't you kill it?"

Hiccup sighed as he thought of the perfect excuse to use. "You guys don't get it, do you?" Hiccup shook his head in fake disappointment. It was real to the others, but it wasn't to Hiccup. "Such an encounter would hardly bolster my reputation." He said.

Everyone was confused at Hiccup's statement.

Hiccup sighed once more. "Does the sound of _'Hiccup, the killer of defenseless dragons'_ sound good to you? To me, it doesn't. If I kill that dragon as it was a moment ago, it wouldn't do me any good. Doesn't matter if it was a Night Fury. It was hardly an honorable kill." He explained to the others who simply nodded at Hiccup's logic. "Do _you_ know anyone who was famous for killing defenseless opponents?"

No one answered.

"Good. Case closed." Hiccup said in satisfaction and began to walk back to the village. "Oh, and before I forget, do _not_ mention this to anyone. I'd like it to be a surprise. Do I have your word that you'll keep this a secret?" He asked them.

"Uh… I guess I could." Fishlegs said. In truth, he wasn't sure if he could but… If he could keep a promise, then maybe he can confidently say that he deserves a friend like Hiccup! Yeah, all he has to do is focus on something else! Like… The Dragon training that Hiccup had told them about!

"Alright, Hiccup." Astrid nodded. She wasn't too sure why Hiccup made them promise that, but his explanation about killing the dragon with honor made good sense to her, so she'll keep this a secret.

"Ugh… Fine." Snotlout grumbled. This _could_ be a chance to steal the kill for himself. According to his cousin, they'll be having dragon training soon. He'll probably ace the training, capture Astrid's heart, and prove that he's better than Hiccup! A fool-proof plan!

Oh, poor Snotlout…

" _Sure."_ The twins both answered. They wanted to see some Night Fury blood spilling, but… The potential mischief that could happen if they were to keep this promise and have Hiccup do all kinds of stuff with the dragon **(No, not that way. Get your mind out of the gutter)** was too much to pass up for the twins. Besides, Hiccup has earned their respect so they could definitely keep that kind of promise. They'll probably forget about it tomorrow anyway.

"Good. I knew I could count on you." Hiccup said with a smile as he and the others walked back to the village.

' _Toothless is here! Toothless is here! I'm now living the part where practically every HTTYD fan would die to experience! I'm gonna be meeting Toothless, bonding with Toothless, flying with Toothless, go on all sorts of crazy adventures with Toothless…! Holy shit!'_

Needless to say, Hiccup walked back from the forest and to the village with the widest grin he could muster as his thoughts were filled with joy.

* * *

 **A/n: Hello, hello! Here's the part that some(I think) of you guys have been waiting for! It's a wee bit rushed, but hey, I got you the movie! With all kinds of alterations! I have another big twist for you guys next chapter! Bye bye!**


	9. Trust isn't very easy to come by

" _ **The Tyrant is getting stronger."**_

" _ **I know. I can feel her Connection growing as time passes."**_

" _ **The Connection is not the only thing she is taking from us... Please... Free us..."**_

" _ **I know... Just hold on a little bit longer... I can free you if you give me enough time."**_

" _ **We don't have much time... You are the only one who can resist her. Free us..."**_

" _ **I KNOW! I know... By the end of this year, I promise I will free you... Even if I have to die, I will free you all."**_

* * *

 _Night time, Haddock Household_

Stoick was sitting by the fireplace, occasionally stoking the fire whenever the light seemed to dim too much. For the most part, he was still contemplating whether he was making the right decision to send Hiccup to Dragon Training with the others or not.

The man then heard the door creak open, and then closed, followed by the sound of calmly placed footsteps. He's here.

"Hiccup." Stoick said.

"Dad." Hiccup said back as he ceased his movements.

"I need to speak with you, son." Stoick stated as he stood up and turned to face his son.

Hiccup turned to face his father. "Oh? Something you need to tell me?" The boy asked.

"Gobber came to me and requested if I would allow him to let you in on Dragon Training."

"And knowing you, you refused until Gobber managed to convince you otherwise."

If there was one thing that Stoick was certain of, it would be that his son knows him quite well. "Yes, son. You start in the morning."

"Heh." Hiccup chuckled softly. "I'll make sure the others are unharmed then." He joked with a shrug.

Stoick is not in the mood for jokes. "This is serious, son."

It was Hiccup's turn to be serious. "You're going on another hunt for the Nest, aren't you?" The boy inquired, his expression losing any form of mirth.

"..." Stoick didn't reply, too busy in analyzing the boy's expression. It was a look that the man never really saw on his son's face. Most of the time, Hiccup can be seen with a positive expression on his face. A smile, a smirk, a grin, even at least a calm expression. Never a face that looked so... Grave.

"Mom would not want you to do this."

Of _that_ , Stoick cannot deny. "I know." The man replied.

Hiccup's expression then inexplicably changed back to its usual look, a smile that showed no other emotions than the ones visibly displayed. "Well, I guess I'll be here if you need me." The boy shrugged as he went upstairs to his room.

Once the boy was out of sight, Stoick let out a sigh before grabbing his sling-basket that carried the supplies he'll need for the trip and then headed out the door.

' _What was that all about?'_

* * *

 _Just outside of Berk_

Ever get that feeling when you see something really cool and you just want it so badly? Like, maybe you saw a really cool toy, or maybe you've seen an awesome looking trailer for a movie **(Like me when I saw the trailer for Zootopia)** , or maybe you spotted your parents bringing home delicious food that you really like but your parents said you're not supposed eat it yet. Those kinds of feelings.

Well, that's exactly(More or less) what Valka, our beloved Hiccup's mother, felt after she had finally met her son two years ago. Hiccup's words had stuck with her ever since then, and she became restless... Only sometimes, of course. She's still busy with freeing the dragons from Drago's trappers **(A fact that we shall not be getting into until later chapters)** , so it was more or less stored at the back of her mind until further notice.

But no more! No more shall she stay idle! She shall come to Berk once more and reveal herself to her dear son! So, she hopped on Cloudjumper and flew to Berk, determined to fulfil her goal...!

That _was_ her line of thought until she and her dragon companion, Cloudjumper the Stormcutter, were halfway to the island of Berk.

' _What if he gets mad at me? Or doesn't believe me?'_ Among other thoughts haunted Valka as she made her way to Berk. Cloudjumper, however, was preoccupied with his own thoughts ever since Valka had him fly to Berk. Mainly, how a human is able to _control the Connection in a similar, yet not at the same, level as the Kings and Queens!_

As far as Cloudjumper knew, only the Kings and Queens are able to freely control the Connection. All dragons have a Connection, but practically every single species of dragon can only use it by mentally communicating with faraway family/pack members. However, one popularly known exception to that rule is the Speed Stinger dragons. Those wingless dragons have a sort of lesser version of the Connection of the Kings and Queens, most notably the Alpha of a pack. Although, it's not very strong and is only limited to their own kind.

"There's Berk..." Valka muttered as she spotted the island on the horizon. _'This is it, Valka. No turning back...'_

Cloudjumper crooned worriedly as he sensed his friend's inner turmoil. **"Hey, I'm sure he won't react too badly. You're his mother."**

Valka sighed and patted her dragon companion's head. "I know, I know... But..."

That line of thought was never continued as they reached their destination; the forest of Berk. "No time for regrets, I suppose." Valka sighed.

They then reached the Cove where they spotted three dragons simply relaxing. One Zippleback and two Changewings. "Let's land, Cloudjumper." Valka commanded to which the Stormcutter complied.

As they landed, the three dragons' heads shot up and stared at both the newly arrived human and dragon. **"Our Leader's mother!"** Trick gasped. **"To grace us with your presence!"** Treat stated with zeal as the two-headed as they stood up and rushed over to Valka.

Cloudjumper would've asked how they knew that Valka was Hiccup's mother, but then decided to ask the other question that bugged him. **"What is wrong with you two?"** The Stormcutter asked, not really liking the dragon's overzealous attitude and how their Connection is colored.

" **Don't mind him. Hiccup was still discovering his ability when this Zippleback came around."** Invy, the eldest of the two Changewing siblings, replied nonchalantly.

" **You dare disrespect Our Leader?!"** The head that was designated as Trick stopped nuzzling Valka and glared at Invy.

" **As you can clearly see."** Sibel, the younger Changewing, added with a roll of his eyes.

Valka laughed as she pushed away the nuzzling head of Treat. "Well! Aren't you friendly?"

The moment was interrupted when they heard a yelp of surprise and a—

 ***THUD!***

* * *

 _Earlier_

Stryker the Night Fury. In human years, he would be about fourteen years old as of this year. He was the Tyrant's designated support of whatever squad of dragons that she would send out to gather food for her. He was the only one of his kind in the Nest, and also the only dragon that could resist(to an extent) the Tyrant's Connection. He was also the youngest dragon to ever be sent out in a hunting raid. He was respected, trusted, the fastest, the stealthiest, and, to a few dragons, the prime candidate for freeing the other dragons from the Tyrant's control. He was...

Currently running as fast as his legs could carry him as if the Tyrant was chasing him.

' _ **I have to help the other dragons!'**_ As one could imagine, being told that he was the only one who could possibly free the other dragons from the Tyrant's control could weigh on anyone's shoulders. Especially when you're as young as Stryker. The Night Fury knew that, even if he would try to free the others, it would not really be much of a battle as the Tyrant could simply exert her Connection over the young dragon's own, and it will reduce his will to nothing. The only reason that the Tyrant didn't do so was because she apparently was not strong enough yet. However, that human from earlier had somehow rid the taint of the Tyrant's Connection off his own which accelerated his plans.

This brings us to the next problem of Stryker. He can't fly. _**'Why isn't this working?!'**_ The dragon thought frantically as he once again crashed into the ground after another failed attempt of getting off the ground. With him being grounded, there was even less of a chance than before for him to fulfill his promise in freeing the other dragons.

' _ **It must be the fault of those humans!'**_ Stryker seethed in his thoughts as the memory of the recent raid came to mind. He had been hit with... _Something_! It wrapped around him and caused excruciating pain for the dragon as he fell to the island's forest before blacking out from the ensuing impact.

So distracted was Stryker in his thoughts that the young dragon didn't notice that he was nearing a dead end...

Oh, wait. That's not correct. A dead end would imply an end to his current pathway. What I meant to say was—

" _ **Waaaaaaahhhh!**_ **" *THUD!***

Was that he was about to run off the edge of the walls of the Cove... Oops. Not that he'd know even if I got it correctly, of course. I'm just the narrator.

" **Ohhhhh..."** Stryker moaned in pain.

" _ **Stryker!"**_

The Night Fury's eyes snapped open at his name being called out, and then shot up from his fallen position and took a defensive stance(The dragon equivalent of one) **"Who—?!"** Whatever he was going to say never left his lips as he stared at the scene before him.

Or to be more specific, one rather familiar looking Zippleback, two Changwings, one _very_ large dragon that he's never seen before, and one—

" **Human!"** Stryker screeched as he prepped up a plasma blast, his maw emitting a bluish glow as he did so.

Cloudjumper stepped between Valka and the newly arrived dragon. **"Watch where you're aiming that, youngling."** The Stormcutter growled, narrowing his eyes at the younger dragon.

" **What are you doing?! That's a human!"** Stryker roared, the plasma blast he was readying to fire disappearing as quickly as he prepared it.

" **Stryker!"  
"How good to see you!"**

Stryker's gaze shifted to the oddly familiar Zippleback who looked rather happy to see him. Wait...

" **...?"**

" **..."**

" **Who're you again?"**

 _ **(*Falls off my chair* Pffft, hahaha! Oh, gods! My sides! Hahahahahahaha! ... *Coughs* I mean... Back to the story!)**_

Such a question had, if this was an anime, shot and pierced an arrow through the two-headed dragon's heart.

" **How dare you!"** Trick yelled.  
 **"It's us! The Zippleback that watched over you on your first two years of raiding!"** Treat added.

" **Ohhhhhh..."** Stryker nodded in realization as he finally recalled the identity of the Zippleback before him. **"** _ **That's**_ **what you were doing. I thought you were an Egg-robber."** In fact, he _does_ remember a Zippleback flying closely by him during his first two years in the raiding business. After that, well, there were far too many Zipplebacks that he had met; it was hard to remember them all.

" _ **Egg-robber?!"**_ Both heads if the Zippleback screeched.

On the sidelines, all the witnesses were thoroughly at a loss for words. The scene before them was just... Too much. Minus Valka who was watching it with confusion, amusement, and worry.

* * *

 _With Hiccup_

' _Where am I...?'_

 _Hiccup went to bed to sleep... He remembers that much... So, is this a dream then? No... Doesn't feel like a dream._

 _Hiccup then saw... Something. It was a dot. A small, reddish dot. Huh... Hiccup 'went' over to the dot... 'I wonder if I should touch it...'_

 _He would... But then again these kinds of situations always end up really bad in his experiences of reading manga, novels, and watching cartoons and anime so... Maybe he should not._

 _Hiccup stared at the red dot before him..._

 _'But it looks so pretty...'_ _Maybe just a poke... Shouldn't be that hard, right? No... The Henry side of his brain indicates it's a bad idea. Foreknowledge, Hiccup... Must trust foreknowledge._

 _Suddenly,_ _ **the blackened void that encompassed Hiccup suddenly exploded in the color of burning red.**_

' _What's happening?!' Hiccup frantically turned around, but everywhere he looked, it was red. Redredredredredredtoomuchredtoomuchredthisiswrongthisiswrongnonono!_

 _ **So you are the one that stole my Night Fury from me...**_

 _A voice... Voice...? That can't be right... The voice sounds rather feminine... Albeit rough, like an old lady with a sore throat_ _ **(I don't really know what that sounds like)**_ _, but feminine nonetheless. Who...?_

 _ **WHO ARE YOU?!**_

 _Hiccup's head started to pound, the sensation feeling like something close to being hammered by a large stone hammer. Repeatedly._

' _Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!' Hiccup's Connection flared out, encasing him within its greenish glow in response to the sudden mental assault._

 _ **A Connection...? Of the Kings and Queens...? So that's how...**_

 _Hiccup 'gasped' for air(It felt like he did) as he looked around the world of red from inside the safety of his small orb of green. Red... The Red Death!_

 _'Impossible...! How the hell is this happening?!'_

 _ **I searched for the Connection of the thief... I found you... Heed my words, little Monarch...**_

 _Suddenly, the world of red seemed to compress around his small green orb that served as a barrier between Hiccup and the world of red. Six angry eyes narrowed down at Hiccup's small form, and a large maw came to swallow him whole._

 _ **I DO NOT LIKE OTHERS STEALING WHAT IS MINE!**_

 _Ahhhhh—_

"—Ahhhhhhhh" Hiccup screamed as he fell off his bed.

 ***THUD!***

Hiccup quickly stood up, his eyes frantically scanning the room as if there was an unknown evil that was in the area. His breathing was ragged, his entire body shook with fear. "C... Calm down, Hiccup. It's just a dream... She... _It_ can't get me from here..." The auburn haired teen assured himself.

Hiccup clutched his chest; he felt his heart beating wildly through his touch. "Ahhhhh..." He moaned as he felt tears streaming down his face. He had never been so scared in his life... Lives. The feeling of dread creeping up in his mind; the fear coiling around his heart like a snake to its prey, It had been too much... Hiccup grabbed Endeavor and its scabbard, and then strapped them onto his waist. He then grabbed his Gronckle Iron shield, and left through the front door of his house.

He will have to be wary of the next raid, if that _nightmare_ was of any indication. Things suddenly became much, _much_ more serious.

* * *

 _At the Dragon Arena_

"Welcome to Dragon Training!" Gobber exclaimed with mirth as he lifted the gates open. Astrid, Fishlegs, Snotlout, Tuffnut, and Ruffnut all entered the arena with glee and excitement.

"No turning back." Astrid whispered as she gripped her axe(Her mother's axe, but it was given to her so it makes it hers) tightly.

The arena was a rather impressive, and quite imposing, sight. Even though they've seen it several times, been inside it a few times, it still managed to take their breaths away whenever they step inside. It seemed like the place grew bigger with each visit.

"I hope I get some _serious_ burns." Tuffnut stated. The male twin of the Thorston siblings carried with him a spear weapon, slung over his shoulder.

"I'm hoping for some mauling. Like, on the shoulder or lower back." Ruffnut added. The female twin of the Thorston siblings also carried a spear weapon.

"Yeah, it's only fun if you get a scar out of it." Astrid remarked with a shrug.

"Unfortunately for you hopeful folks, I cannot allow that to happen."

All of the teens turned towards the arena gates to see Hiccup(He had regained his composure before entering the arena). The auburn haired teen was wielding Endeavor on his right hand, while his left held a shield. A round, and very shiny, shield that sports a dragon shaped symbol on the center.

"Oh!" Fishlegs, who was wielding a stone hammer, gasped in surprise. "Hiccup! Glad to see you here!" Truthfully, the husky Ingerman teen didn't really expect Hiccup to be here as he thought that the Hooligan heir was leagues above them in terms of fighting.

" _Hey there, Hiccup!"_ Both twins greeted with grins.

Snotlout, who was wielding a mace, only grumbled, and Astrid gave Hiccup a wave of greetings.

"You can all thank Gobber here for convincing my dad to let me join." Hiccup stated with a grin.

Gobber limped **(I feel like, given his condition, that's the right mode of locomotion to use)** beside Hiccup. "The lad's mostly here to make sure you five don't get roasted alive while you're here!" The half-limbed man declared, patting said boy on the shoulder. "However, make no mistake! This only means that I'll be working you lot extra hard!" He laughed as he sauntered over to the doors that held the dragons within.

Hiccup licked his lips in anticipation. Perhaps he could link the other dragons with his Connection... Seems like a safe thing to do. The auburn haired teen then shook his head, and turned his gaze on his fellow peers. "Get ready to use your legs." He advised them which earned him confused looks.

"Behind these doors are just a few of the many species you will learn to fight!" Gobber exclaimed as he gestured his hand at the first door. "The Deadly Nadder!"

"Speed: eight, armor: sixteen." Fishlegs muttered excitedly as he grasped his stone hammer tightly.

"The Hideous Zippleback!"

' _Actually, if you knew the dragons in the book, the Zipplebacks definitely do not deserve the 'Hideous' in their name.'_ Hiccup mused.

"Plus eleven stealth times two."

"The Monstrous Nightmare!"

"Firepower: fifteen."

"The Terrible Terror!"

"Attack eight, Venom twelve!" Fishlegs exclaimed, his eyes widening with excitement.

"Can you stop that?!" Gobber yelled at the Ingerman boy before rolling his eyes and refocusing on the task at hand. "And... The Gronckle." He smirked as he rested his hand on the door's release lever.

"Jaw strength: eight." Fishlegs whispered to Hiccup who simply rolled his eyes in response.

"Woah, woah!" Snotlout stepped forward, panic and fear becoming evident in his face. "Wait, aren't you gonna teach us first?!" The Jorgenson boy asked.

Gobber gave them a mischievous grin that basically promised _pain_. "I believe in learning—"

"Run." Hiccup stated before his legs started doing just that.

"—on the job." Gobber pulled the lever down.

 ***BAM!* "Free at last!"**

The teens yelped in surprise and started scrambling out of the rocketing dragon's way.

"Today is about survival. If you get blasted, you're dead!" Gobber instructed the teens as the Gronckle slammed onto a wall where she found conveniently placed rocks for ammunition to use for her fire blasts. "Quick! What's the first thing you're going to need?!" Gobber yelled.

"A prayer for our safety?!" Hiccup blurted out as he warily watched Meatlug search for her target. He knew Meatlug wouldn't hurt him, but the dragon was far from disliking the idea of shooting at other humans that wasn't him.

"Plus five speed?!" Fishlegs answered.

"A shield!" Astrid answered.

"Shield! Go! You're most important piece of equipment is your shield! If you must make a choice between a sword or a shield, take the shield!" Gobber instructed.

The teens, minus Hiccup who already wielded a shield, then scrambled for the nearest shield they could get their hands on. But for the twins' case, a shield _they_ could get both their hands on.

"Get your hands off my shield!" Tuffnut yelled as he yanked on the shield with two skulls adorned on both sides and an orange flame design.

"There's like a million shield!" Ruffnut protested, yanking the shield back.

"Take that one!" Tuffnut gestured his head to a shield that, surprisingly, _does_ have flower designs on it. "It has flowers! Hiccup told me girls like flowers!"

"I said _most_ girls, Tuffnut!" Hiccup shouted.

The momentary distraction was enough for Ruffnut to yank the shield from her twin brother's hold, and then slam the shield on Tuffnut's head. "Oops! Now this one has blood in it!"

"Tuffnut! Ruffnut! Dragon coming your way!" Hiccup warned the twins as he noticed Meatlug targeting the twins.

Unfortunately , the twins only had enough time to snap their heads towards the dragon's direction before Meatlug fired a blast at them. The attack hit the shield that the twins were fighting over, and caused both twins to spin a bit before falling down on the ground. "Tuffnut! Ruffnut! You're out!" Gobber declared.

" _What?"_ Both twins dazedly inquired.

"Those shields are good for another thing! Noise! Make lots of it! Throw off a dragon's aim!" Gobber instructed.

The remaining trainees then started banging on their shields with their weapons. Hiccup muttered a silent apology to Meatlug as the dragon was sent in a daze by the noise. The Gronckle growled under her breath as she looked around in search of her next target that wasn't Hiccup.

"All dragons have a limited number of shots!" Gobber lectured as the twins stood beside the man. How many does a Gronckle have?!"

"Five?!" Snotlout guessed.

"No, six!" Fishlegs answered, raising his shield up.

"Correct! Six! That's one for each of you!" Meatlug fired a shot at Fishleg's shield, launching the shield out of the boy's hands and slamming into a wall, shattering it completely. "Fishlegs, out!" Gobber declared as the boy ran in fright.

"Hiccup! Quit standing around there!" Gobber yelled at Hiccup who was trying to link his Connection with Meatlug's own. However, he found that it was hard if the dragon was moving and too focused on chasing after the other trainees.

"So, uh, I'm moving into my parent's basement. You should come by sometime to work out. You look like you work out." Snotlout was trying to woo in Astrid who was too busy watching the dragon's movements to notice. The dragon saw the two teens and buzzed right towards them. Astrid rolled to the side right before Snotlout's shield was blasted out of his hands, causing the Jorgenson boy to fall to the ground.

"Snotlout! You're done!" Gobber declared.

"Looks like it's just you and me, huh, Astrid?" Hiccup remarked as Astrid came to a stop beside him.

Astrid whipped her head, and stared at Hiccup with a surprised expression. "Wha—?!"

However, that moment of distraction was enough for Meatlug to fire a blast towards the Hofferson girl. Hiccup's eyes widened before pushing Astrid out of the way and raising his shield up. The attack sent Hiccup flying through the air and crashing to the nearest wall.

" **Hiccup! Oh, mother of dragons, I'm sorry!"** Meatlug shrieked as she buzzed towards Hiccup.

" _Hiccup!"_ Everyone yelled in fright as the dragon neared the boy.

" **Hiccup, are you okay?!"** Meatlug worriedly asked Hiccup who had recovered and looked at the dragon before him.

' _Time to enact my plan.'_ Hiccup moaned in pain as he linked his Connection with Meatlug's own. He then proceeded to use the same method he had used on the Night Fury to rid the Groncke of the Red Death's taint.

Meatlug felt her Connection being tampered and looked at Hiccup with an incredulous expression. **"You—! The Connection?!"** The Gronckle shrieked as she felt her Connection change form a dull greyish red to a vibrant greyish glow.

 _Don't hurt my friends._ Hiccup commanded through the link.

" **Woah! I can feel your Conne—?!"** Meatlug's sentence was interrupted when a hook yanked her by the maw.

"Alright, you! Go back to bed, you overgrown sausage!" Gobber yelled as he tossed and forced the dragon back in her cage. Once the dragon was locked back in, the half-limbed man turned to face the trainees.

"Remember this, you sorry lot. A dragon will always go for the kill." Gobber stated.

' _Perhaps some of them do, but not the ones I know.'_ Hiccup thought as he stood up.

* * *

 _Later_

Once Gobber had dismissed them, and after he managed to get away from Astrid who profusely apologized for almost getting Hiccup killed(In her perspective), Hiccup went back home to leave his sword and shield behind, and went straight to the Cove. While Hiccup was strolling through the forest, however, he encountered a surprise.

A snowy blue Connection. That could only mean...

' _Mom's here, and so is Cloudjumper.'_ Hiccup was certain of that. Whenever he would 'feel' the Connection of his dragon friends, they always have a sort of familiarity with them. Like he just knew whose Connection it belonged the moment he 'felt' it as long as he encountered it before. Of course, Trick and Treat were the easiest to recognize because of how "unique" the Zippleback's Connection is...

Hiccup shook his head. He doesn't need any of the usual distractions as of now. The time of reckoning is at hand...!

Or rather, the time of meeting Toothless for the first time.

Hiccup then sent a _'Seek-and-Return pulse'_ , or SAR pulse for short(The actual name of it was too long for Hiccup to care about pronouncing), to see if all the dragons linked to his Connection were where they should be. Sure enough, they were(Although their Connections were displaying a rather strong sense of emotion). Good... That's good.

Hiccup stopped at the small and narrow entrance of the Cove.

"Hello there, Night Fury..." Hiccup paused in thought. "No... Too casual. We meet at last, dragon..." Hiccup shook his head. "Nope. Maybe too antagonizing." Hiccup cleared his throat. "Howdy there, Night Fury!..." That one was delivered in a Texan accent. "Not that one either... Greetings, Night Fury. It is a pleasure to meet you... Yes, that's it!" With that, he entered the Cove full of confidence, but that was until he was met with a rather bizarre scene...

The Night Fury lying on his back while an unmasked Valka was playfully rubbing the exposed underbelly of the dragon like how one would do so with a dog, Cloudjumper, along with Invy, were watching the scene with amusement while Sibel was watching it with Envy, and Trick and Treat were... Sulking in a corner.

It seems like they're too busy with each other to notice him. " _A-hem._ " Hiccup loudly cleared his throat, causing the dragons, and Valka, to look at him.

" _ **Our Leader!"**_ Both heads of the Zippleback gasped before scrambling out of their sullen position and rushed to bow both their heads to Hiccup in an apologetic manner. _**"Please forgive us for letting you see such a undignified display!"**_

Hiccup would've sweat-dropped if this was an anime. "Y-yes, you're forgiven." The boy replied. "Now, _please_ stop bowing." He hissed at the dragon

" _ **Yes!"**_ Both heads shot up and stepped aside.

"Honestly..." Hiccup growled under his breath. He then focused on Valka who had placed her mask back on her face and started staring at the boy with what he could assume was a curious expression, and the Night Fury who had arranged himself in a defensive crouching position and was growling at him. Hiccup took a step forward. "Greetings Ni—!"

 ***BLAM!*** The boy's advance was stopped by a plasma blast aimed in front of his feet. The action caused all of the other dragons and Valka to gasp in surprise.

" **Don't come any closer!"** The Night Fury, Stryker, snarled, baring his teeth at Hiccup

"Rude." Hiccup remarked, albeit nonchalantly which slightly disturbed every occupant in the Cove. On the inside, however, Hiccup's heart may have skipped a bit and his mind was sent into a short state of disarray as things started derailing from his plans, but Hiccup managed to recover quickly. "I cannot help but feel irked that you have readily accepted the dragon lady over there." He gestured to Valka. "Yet you have given me such a hostile greeting."

' _What the hell are you doing, Henry?! This is not the time for acting like some smug bastard!'_

" **She's different! You're one of those** _ **Vikings!**_ **"** Toothless roared, the word _'Viking'_ being spat with venom.

" **Watch your tongue, Stryker!"** Trick hissed.  
 **"He is not one of those Vikings! He is Our Leader! You included!"** Treat added.

" _ **Our**_ **leader?! What has gotten into you two?!"** Stryker snarled at the Zippleback.

"Now, now... There's no need to fight." Valka tried pacifying the two dragons but was promptly ignored.

" **What did you do to them?!"** The Night Fury roared at Hiccup.

"I am nobody's leader." Hiccup declared, taking a step forward once more. This time, the Night Fury only growled at him. _'Stryker, huh? I'll remember that.'_ Hiccup thought to himself. "You, the Zippleback, and the two Changewings are simply linked to my Connection." Hiccup wonders if he should be giving away such information so carelessly with his mother around.

"Connection...?" Valka muttered, wondering why her son would know such a word. She _had_ heard of such a thing. A sacred mental bond that only dragons could have. The King has his own Connection, shared among the other dragons that call the Sanctuary home. Why would her son...?

Hiccup's left eye shined a bright emerald green color. The dragons', excluding Cloudjumper, left eyes started glowing the same color. This caused Valka to gasp as she witnessed it. "My Connection has rid the taint of the Red Death's Connection from both you, and Trick and Treat. As I have told you before." Hiccup stated.

" **You...!"** Stryker couldn't form any words as he felt his Connection respond to the boy's own.

"But it seems you are not yet convinced I am here to help." Hiccup continued, taking another step forward before spreading out his arms. _'This will either end up spectacularly ridiculous, or horribly wrong.'_ Hiccup thought to himself, mentally debating whether he should continue with this or not.

" **What are you doing...?"** Strkyer asked the boy, confused as to why the human's hands were spread out.

' _Fuck it.'_ Hiccup decided it was now or never. "You and I require trust between us if we are to accomplish both of our goals. I will show you how much I am willing to give you." Hiccup paused for a moment. " _Decide my fate!_ "

" _ **What?!"  
**_ _"What?!"_

"You heard me. I shall let _you_ decide what to do. Take my life, or spare it. Either way, it is all up to you." Truthfully, Hiccup was hoping for the latter while his heart is probably beating faster than normal right now, but they didn't need to know that.

" **Y-you're lying!"** Stryker stammered in disbelief. **"You'll just move out of the way! Yeah! That's what you humans do!"** At least, that's what he _hopes_ the human before him will do.

"Then look into the Connection. Where there are no lies, where deception is as clear as the sky." Hiccup stated, his eyes filled with determination **(DETERMINATION)** as he steeled his resolve and discarded all thoughts of hesitation and regret(Though he might experience that later on with either choice of the dragon).

Stryker did. He peered into the human's Connection(Surprising for a human to have one it may be), and saw that there were no lies. Only resolve, and a bit of fear(Then again, in the face of potential death, who wouldn't?).They were the same emotions the Night Fury had when he promised to free his fellow dragons from the Tyrant. Is he really...?

Stryker shook his head. _**'No. He's lying. I'll prove it.'**_ With his mind made up, the Night Fury charged a plasma blast and aimed at Hiccup who simply shut his eyes and gritted his teeth in anticipation.

" **Have you gone mad, youngling?!"  
"Our Leader! No!"  
** _ **"Hiccup!"**_

" _Hiccup, don't!_ " Valka screamed as she tried to get to her son.

Stryker the Night Fury fired.

* * *

 **A/n: Oop! Hanging off a cliff! Hanging off a cliff, people! Well, not really, but you know what I mean. Man, this was quite a hard chapter to write! Not really the writing part, but the** _ **'coming up with this'**_ **part. I wrote it, then erased, then rewrote it, then erased it again, and again and again and again and again and again and again(Not really, but it felt like it was)! Anyway, let me know what you think!... Say, you think I should... Take it one more step further and include our little thief?**


	10. Valka Valka How I wonder why you're here

" _Hiccup, don't!_ " Valka screamed as she tried to get to her son, but to no avail as the Night Fury—

 ***Pew!* *Whoosh!***

Fired and missed Hiccup by mere meters before the attack then hit the wall that was far behind the boy.

 _'What...?'_ Valka was flabbergasted. It all happened so fast she couldn't think of anything coherent. She opened her mouth to say something, but found that she couldn't say anything at all.

In fact, just about every dragon was simply too shocked to say or _do_ anything after that. Trick and Treat had practically fainted on the spot, Cloudjumper shared the same jaw dropped expression as his rider, and Invy and Sibel felt their hearts pound so rapidly, it almost feels like it was about to jump out of their chests.

Hiccup cracked his eyes open, and immediately felt relief for not becoming a mere pile of ash by now. _'Thank Odin.'_ He thought in relief before focusing on the Night Fury before him who was staring at him with widened eyes.

 **"You... You really aren't lying."** Stryker muttered, shutting his eyes and shaking his head. He could've killed the human... He has _never_ killed anyone before. He didn't have the stomach to take a life of anyone at all. **_'I could've killed him... Oh, mother of dragons, I could've killed him!'_** The Night Fury wailed in his thoughts, the prospect of spilling blood making him nauseous.

"Of course I wasn't." Hiccup stated as he advanced towards the Night Fury. "I wanted to show you that you have my trust."

 **"By letting me kill you?!"** Stryker could not _believe_ this human! Admittedly, his situation could be similar to this in certain conditions. **"What kind of idiot would be willing to die just for something like that?!"** Okay, _maybe_ he's being a bit hypocritical, but he's trying to make a point!

"The _trying-to-prove-a-point_ kind of idiot." Hiccup answered with a tone that's almost matter-of-factly had it not been for that slight humor injected at the last second.

 **"Not my point, human!"** Stryker roared with fury. Honestly, what was _with_ this human?!

 ** _"Hiccup!"_** Both Invy and Sibel had snapped out of their stupor and hurried to the boy's side.

"Calm down, you two." Hiccup commanded, pushing away the two worried dragons' heads. "I am unharmed." He assured them.

 **"Unharmed!"** Invy scoffed with nothing less than disbelief. **"You nearly gave us a heart attack!"** The female Changewing used her lower jaw to conk Hiccup on the head.

"Ow!"

 **"Please don't ever do that again."** Sibel pleaded, nudging his head at Hiccup's torso. Hiccup patted Sibel's head, albeit awkwardly.

 **"Hey! I'm still here, you know!"** Stryker snarled, irritated that he was being ignored.

The two Changewing siblings glared and hissed at the Night Fury. Hiccup immediately commanded them to stand aside as he refocused his attention on the Night Fury. "My apologies. Back to business." His eyes then stared into the dragon's own piercing gaze.

 **"What do you want? You wouldn't have freed me back then and come here offering me a chance to kill you so freely as a _'sign of trust'_ without wanting something" **Stryker demanded.

"It appears you and I have... Shall we say _similar goals?_ " Hiccup calmly replied. "In your Nest, a monstrous dragon holds you and your fellow dragons in its grasp."

Stryker snarled. **"That _Tyrant_ does not deserve to be called a dragon."**

"Regardless, I wish to destroy it." Hiccup stated. "I have felt its Connection. Needless to say, it was not a pleasant conversation."

Stryker snorted. **"And what do you want me to do? I cannot fly anymore, thanks to losing my tail fin—"** Stryker thought he saw the human's face grimace a bit before reforming to his previous expression. **"—and neither I nor your humans have the strength to stop her."**

"Which is where the trust comes in." Hiccup held out his hand towards the Night Fury. "I might have a way to help you fly once more, but..."

 **" _But?_ " **Stryker would take any chance to fly again and have a chance to free his fellow dragon.

"This requires a... Second hand to accomplish." Hiccup stated, almost sheepishly.

 **"I don't care."** Stryker drew closer towards Hiccup's outstretched hand. **"As long as I can fly again, and able to free my fellow dragons, I'll take whatever I can get."** However, instead of pressing his snout at Hiccup's outstretched hand like he expected the dragon to, Stryker swatted it away and bared his teeth at the human teen. **"Don't think this is enough for me to trust you, human. Right now, you're just a means to an end."** The Night Fury snorted.

Hiccup rubbed his hand as he chuckled. "Of course. That's all I—?"

 ** _"OUR LEADER!"_**

What resulted after the Zippleback's awakening was... Chaotic, to say the least.

* * *

 _Later that night, At the Mead Hall_

"Alright, where did Astrid go wrong in the ring today?"

"I, uh, guess it's because I got distracted a bit back there."

"No kidding. You almost got turned to a roasted Viking had it not been for _Hiccup~_ "

 ***SMACK!*** "Ow!"

Hiccup quietly laughed as he entered the Mead Hall. The antics of his friends were always quite amusing. Although, he could do without being soaked in rain on the way back from the Cove. He forgot that happened in the movie.

"Tuffnut's right, Astrid." Hiccup heard Gobber stated as the auburn haired teen grabbed a plate of chicken legs and a mug of water before settling on a vacant space on the bench next to Fishlegs. "Ah, Hiccup. Glad to see you could make it." The tone of Gobber's voice suggested that he was anything _but_ glad.

"Sorry." Hiccup shrugged. "My weapons needed some maintenance check." He excused nonchalantly.

"I didn't see you at the forge." Gobber proclaimed, narrowing his eyes at Hiccup.

"Then I must've left before you went in. I went to the woods for some practice, gotta keep my reflexes sharp and all." That was like, what? Excuse number thirty five? Hiccup honestly lost count.

Gobber decided to drop the subject, knowing that he's not gonna get a clear answer from the boy. "Alright, where did Hiccup go wrong today?" The half-limbed man questioned, causing Hiccup to look up from his plate and give the man a bemused look.

"Uh, he didn't go wrong." Ruffnut answered, in an almost matter-of-fact tone of voice.

"Unlike others." Tuffnut added with a snicker while _subtly_ (Nah, it was pretty obvious) gesturing to Fishlegs and Snotlout. He would've included Astrid had his head gave him a reminder that it was still aching from Astrid's fist.

Snotlout glared at the male Thorston twin. "Oh, really? Who was it again that first got taken out of the ring? Oh, that's right! It's you two!"

"All of you got taken out pretty quickly." Astrid quipped while rolling her eyes.

"She's right. Hiccup, go explain where exactly they went wrong." Gobber ordered.

"Well, for starters..." Hiccup sipped from his mug of water. "They were lucky the dragon wasn't in the mood to blast them to Valhalla."

"Oh?" Gobber raised an eyebrow. "And how did you come to that observation?"

"You can see it throughout the dragon's attacks." Hiccup replied before taking another bite of his meal and swallowing it. "Back at the arena, I noticed that the dragon wasn't aiming directly at us. Its attacks were focused more on blasting the shields out of our hands. I do not know why, but I'd suppose it was from the years of captivity." He explained.

 _'More like I mellowed it out.'_ Hiccup added in his thoughts.

"Not the kind of observation I was looking for, but it gets the point across." Gobber shrugged. "You all need to learn one simple thing: In the battlefield, no one can afford distractions."

"Well that's gonna be tough, my sister's a big distraction." Tuffnut jeered right before being slammed face first onto the table by his sister.

" _You're_ the big distraction!" Ruffnut shot back. The only reply she got was a muffled voice.

"You need to live—" Gobber slapped Ruffnut on the back of her head. "—and breath this stuff." The half-limbed man then dropped a book on the center of the table. "The Dragon Manual-everything we know about every dragon we know of." He told the teens.

 ***Rumble***

Gobber let his eyes wander to the ceiling for a bit before refocusing on the teens. "No attacks tonight. Study up." He said before leaving.

"Wait, you mean _read?!_ " Tuffnut exclaimed, the word _'read'_ seemed like poison to his tongue.

"While we're still alive?!" Ruffnut added.

"Why read words when you can just kill the stuff the words tell you stuff about?" Snotlout asked out loud in annoyance.

"Oh, I read it, like, seven times! There's this water dragon that spoils _boiling_ water at your face! And, and there's this other one that—!" Fishlegs was cut off from his ramblings when Hiccup tapped him on the shoulder.

"Fishlegs, please." Hiccup made sure to restrain his lips from smirking. "It's very fascinating and all, but think of the _audience_ here for a bit." He said, putting a bit of emphasis on the word _'audience'_.

Fishlegs caught on to what Hiccup was saying. "Oh!" He put a hand over his mouth to cover the grin that was forming on his lips." Right, right. How inconsiderate of me." He said in almost mocking tone.

Snotlout, ignoring that slight against him(and the twins, but they didn't really get it), stood up from the bench. "You guys read, I'll go kill stuff." He declared as he went to leave the Mead Hall.

"Count me in!" Tuffnut eagerly exclaimed.

"Hey, me too!" Ruffnut soon followed after.

"Guys, wait! See you tomorrow, Hiccup! You too, Astrid!" Fishlegs waved goodbye at the two.

That only left Hiccup and Astrid...

Hiccup coughed awkwardly as Astrid refused to even look at his general direction. "So, uh... I guess we'll share?" He offered, gesturing to the book that Gobber left at the table.

"No!" Astrid blurted out before clasping a hand over her mouth. "I mean... No, I already read it before." Which was technically true. She read halfway through it before falling asleep.

"Er..." Hiccup scratched the back of his head. "Listen, Astrid, about what happened back at the Arena—"

"I'm really, _really_ , sorry about that!"

"No, no!" Hiccup waved his hands dismissively. "Technically, it's my fault you got distracted in the first place so _I_ should be the one apologizing instead." He said before standing up and walking towards Astrid. He then gave her a hug.

Astrid's eyes widened as she froze at the contact. Her mind started to draw a blank...

Actually, it was more like _'HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!'_ , you know, like a boiling kettle.

"There, there." Hiccup told the blonde shield maiden. "None of us got hurt, and the important thing is that you're not hurt." He withdrew from the hug and gave her a soft smile.

Astrid managed to regain her bearings after her brain temporarily crashed for a moment, and when she did...

" _ImsorryIgottagoIjustrememberedsomethingthatIneededtodosobyeseeyoutomorrowHiccup!"_ And there she goes, out the doors of the Mead Hall and gone from Hiccup's sight like she was a paper caught in a very strong gust of wind.

"Uh..." Hiccup sweat-dropped. He then noticed the other occupants of the Mead Hall giving him looks. "What are you all looking at?" He growled at them.

All they did was chuckle before resuming whatever it is they were doing.

Hiccup shook his head. "Huh... Ashley always loved it when I do that... Then again, I think she punched me in the face on the first try." He mused before his gaze landed on the Dragon manual on the table. He grabbed it and then flipped the book open.

"Dragon classifications... Thunderdrum, Timberjack, Scauldrons... Kill on sight, extremely dangerous, kill on sight, blablabla..." The auburn haired boy murmured as he quickly flipped through the pages. His eyes narrowed in disdain at the repetitive words; extremely dangerous, kill on sight. "They wouldn't know the meaning of the word." He silently scoffed before tossing the book back on the table.

Hiccup then decided to walk back home. His mind then flashed back to his earlier conversation with his mother...

* * *

 ** _FLASHBACK SCENE BECAUSE I CAN_**

 _After calming down the worried(understatement of the damn century) Zippleback, Hiccup decided to find out what his mother was here for... Again._

 _"So... You're back here again." Hiccup started as he sat in a cross-legged position on the ground across his mother who was using Cloudjumper as a sort of back pillow(the Stormcutter didn't mind, really). "May I be indulged in your reasoning?"_

 _Valka fidgeted for only a second, but Hiccup noticed it. "I... Er, I was looking for someone." She stated nervously._

 _Who knew trying to talk to your son whom you haven't seen in more or less fourteen years could be harder than facing trappers?_

'Again, she sought me out.' _Hiccup concluded in his thoughts. He then decided to veer away from that particular subject for a bit. "Nice armor by the way; very mysterious and intimidating."_

 _"Oh!" Valka snapped out of her nervousness. "I made it myself. To help pacifying wary dragons." She replied. Good... She could do small talks like these. No need to rush the big reveal._

 _Cloudjumper rumbled in slight annoyance. **"You're terrible at this, you know that?"**_

 _Hiccup glared at the Stormcutter. "I dislike your attitude, dragon." He growled at the large dragon._

 _Cloudjumper, opting to ignore the fact that the boy can understand him perfectly, gave him an annoyed look. **"Who are you to judge?"**_

 _"Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III for your information." Hiccup shot back._

 _Valka softly gasped at how easy Hiccup could understand dragons. "You really can understand them?" She asked._

 _"Comes with this." Hiccup's left eye glowed a bright emerald green. "It's complicated. I'm not really sure how I got it myself."_

 _Valka was mesmerized by the glow of Hiccup's left eye. It reminded her so much of the King's Connection and she couldn't help but feel her draconic instincts flare up a bit. "Beautiful..." She murmured, almost dumbly._

 ** _"It's confusing, that's what it is!"_** _Cloudjumper retorted, but neither of the two humans paid him any heed._

 _Hiccup's face flushed a bit. "Ehe... I wouldn't really... Put it like that but I guess..." He sheepishly scratched the back of his head._

 _"M... May I?" Valka requested as she crawled, her movements akin to that of a dragon more so than a human, closer to Hiccup and then held out her hand towards the boy. She did this for two reasons; one, she wanted to once again feel the soft skin of her beloved son, and two was because she was very curious about his ability._

 _"Uh... Sure?" Hiccup replied before he felt his mother's hand, albeit rather leathery due to her gloves, caressing his skin. More specifically, the left side of his face._

'Truly magnificent.' _Valka mused as she slightly tilted Hiccup's face to the boy's right to get a better look at the boy's glowing left eye. The glow was tantalizing, its emerald green color seemed like the perfect fit for her son._

 _"Er..." Hiccup fidgeted a bit. "I, uh, don't believe I have actually given you my name yet."_

 _That was enough to snap Valka out of her tantalized state of mind. "Oh... Sorry." She apologized before going back to her position beside Cloudjumper. "There really is no need for that, but if you must..." No, really. There was absolutely no need._

 _Hiccup cleared his throat before standing up. "Hello, my name is Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III." He placed his right foot behind his left, and then placed his left hand over his chest while his right was tucked behind his back. "A pleasure to meet you, Ms. Dragon Lady."_

 _Valka couldn't stop the laughter that escaped her lips. That was too good. "My... Quite the charmer you are."_

 _Cloudjumper only snorted. **"Show-off."**_

'Make mother laugh with a silly antic, check.' _Hiccup smirked as he straightened his posture. "Anyway, let's get back to business. You mentioned something about looking for someone."_

 _Valka immediately recalled why she was here in the first place. "Ah... That's right." She gulped nervously as she felt her heart beat slightly faster._ 'You can do this, Valka. You're just going to tell your son that you're his long lost mother, that's all. Easy enough.'

 _Her hear seems to disagree with that statement._

 _Meanwhile, Hiccup was having his own inner debate hidden beneath his calm facade._ 'Do I gasp like what Hiccup did? Or maybe I should be like _'I knew it!'_ , or maybe I should be skeptical? How the hell do I even know if she's actually going to reveal herself to me anyway?!'

 _Hm... That's for me to know, and for you to find you to find out, Henry._

 _"I would..." Valka stood up and then reached for her mask._

 _"Like to tell you..." She_ eeeeever _so slowly pulled it off her head to reveal her face. She seemed slightly younger than Hiccup had thought her to be. Then again, this_ was _five years before she actually showed up in Hiccup's life._

 _"That..." Her green eyes, oh so similar to Hiccup's, stared into the boy's own eyes._

'Come on, do it already! You're killing me with all this anticipation you're building up!' _Hiccup whined in his thoughts._

 _"I..." Valka paused once more. She's gonna do it! She's really gonna do it! She's gonna—!_

 _"_ Wouldlikeyoutocomewithme! _"_

 _Not do it!_

 _"Pardon?" Hiccup was certain he heard that incorrectly._

 _"I-I mean..." Had Valka been a less dignified woman than she is, she'd be opting to stare at the ground and sheepishly twiddling her thumbs. "I would like you to come with me to the Dragon Sanctuary."_

 _Nope, Hiccup did_ not _hear that incorrectly._

 ** _"Oh, come on!"_** _Cloudjumper wailed before being quickly shushed by Valka._

 _"Ah..." Hiccup was thankful that the tone of his response could be mistaken for confusion instead of disappointment. "What brought about such an offer?"_

 _"I, uh..." Valka was feeling_ very _perturbed right now. "I could teach you! Y-yes, that's right!" She gave herself a mental nod. "I could help you learn more about dragons, discover their secrets, and, and maybe help you with your abilities." Good, good... It may not be what she was aiming for originally, but it was still pretty close._

 _Hiccup quirked an eyebrow at her. If he had been the original Hiccup with his original life, it would've been a very tempting offer. Heck, someone could make a fanfic out of this. In fact, he's pretty sure someone already did. His mind then recalled..._

 ** _I DO NOT LIKE OTHERS STEALING WHAT IS MINE!_**

 _Hiccup shuddered at the memory. "It is a very tempting offer, Ms. Dragon Lady—" Cloudjumper snorted at the referral. "—but I must decline."_

 _Valka's expression shifted to that of surprise. "W-what? Why? I could—"_

 _"No." Hiccup's eyes narrowed at Valka. "In a nearby nest, there lives a monster. A dragon that is, in every sense of the word, a tyrant. Its Connection grows stronger, controlling and taking away the will of more dragons as time passes. I plan to kill it."_

 _"No..." Valka knew of the beast Hiccup was talking about. "No, you can't!" She pleaded, grabbing hold of Hiccup's shoulders. "You can't fight her alone, Hiccup! You'll be killed!"_

 _Hiccup's expression did not falter. "Not if I play my cards right." He removed Valka's hands of his shoulders. "I have already made plans for the future; I am prepared."_

 _Valka couldn't say anything. She looked into Hiccup's eyes, they were filled with unwavering determination_ ** _(DETERMINATION!)_** _. "I just don't want you to get hurt." She murmured as she looked at her son with pleading eyes._

 _Hiccup gave her a smile. "Don't worry, Ms. Dragon Lady. My friends won't allow that to happen." He assured his mother before assuming a confident pose, his hands balled into a fist as they pushed against his hips. "Besides, I have a goal! I cannot accomplish that if I am dead!"_

 _Valka blinked. "And that goal is...?"_

 _Hiccup raised his fist into the air. "I will try to accomplish what no Viking has ever done before!"_

 _"And that would be...?"_

 _"Ending the war between Vikings and Dragons!" Hiccup proudly proclaimed._

 _Stryler, Trick and Treat, Invy, and Sibel who decided to have a drink from the pond did a spit-take._

 ** _FLASHBACK END!_**

* * *

Hiccup smiled to himself as he finished recalling the memory. "A bit of a rather reckless proclamation to make, but it was made in the heat of the moment, I suppose." He shrugged to himself as he pushed the doors to his home open.

He then stepped inside before closing the door. It's time to sleep.

* * *

 _With Valka_

Valka sighed as she relaxed beside Cloudjumper while looking at the stars of the night sky. She and Cloudjumper decided to stay at Berk for the time being.

Cloudjumper crooned. **"Well... I'd say that went... Not too good."**

Valka patted her dragon friend's head. "Do you think... He can really do it?"

Cloudjumper quirked an eyebrow at her. **"Which one?"**

"End the war between dragons and Vikings, I mean."

 **"Oh..."** Cloudjumper snorted. **"I wouldn't put my hopes up, but he's surprised me enough to just wait and see."** The Stormcutter laid down his head in preparation to sleep.

"I suppose you're right." Valka sighed. "I just don't want him to get hurt." The thought of her son facing the queen of the nearby nest was... Torturous, to say the least. So many things that could go wrong, and yet...

She looked into her son's eyes. They were filled with resolve and confidence. The woman knew that anyone with those eyes are _very_ hard to dissuade from whatever it they wish to do. Maybe... Just maybe... He could succeed where she had failed.

She sighed for the last time before letting herself fall into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

 _Morning, With Stoick_

Quite the uneventful few days, if Stoick were to make a comment about this. Lucky too. They couldn't afford battle in the seas. Sure, there were sights of _some_ water dwelling dragons, but they were left alone all the time.

So, with that said, Stoick's mind had been preoccupied with battle strategies(never said they were elaborate) and with that talk he had with his son.

 _"You're going on another Nest hunt, aren't you?"_

 _"..."_

 _"Mom would not want you to do this."_

 _"... I know."_

Stoick shook his head and instead opted to stare at the nearing mist that obscures whatever it was on the other side from the rest of the world. What would Hiccup know about Valka? No, really. The boy never met his mother. But still...

In either case, Hiccup was _right_. Valka wouldn't have wanted him to continue pursuing the nest. Not only would she be against the idea due to her dislike of harming dragons, she also doesn't want Stoick to recklessly risk his life just to find the Nest.

But, alas! He, along with the rest of his tribe, is a _Viking_.

"I can almost smell them. They're close." Stoick declared as he stared into the fog. It seems to grow more oppressive as they get closer. "Steady..." In response to the oppressive aura, he glared at the fog and braced himself for whatever the demons on the other side may throw at him. "Take us in." He commanded.

"Hard to port... For Helheim's gate." The Viking who was in charge of steering the ship declare as he obeyed his Chief's command.

"Hard to port!" Echoed another Viking as their ships disappeared into the mist.

It's only an occupational hazard.

... **" _ROOOOOOOOOAAAAAARRRRRR!"_**

* * *

 **A/n: I... Am... Back! Remember what I said on the last chapter where it was hard and I had to rewrite again and again and again and again? I take it back and then place it here! I literally erased my progress and then rewrite it before erasing it again and rewriting it again! Also, happy valentines day!... It's gotta be still valentines day somewhere in the world, right? Right?! Anyway, so sorry if this was a bit shorter than expected, but I felt like this was a good way to end the chapter. See you in the next update! Bye bye~**


	11. Kickstarting the problem

_At the Dragon Arena, Early Morning_

Hiccup groaned with displeasure for two entirely different reasons. The first reason was because his nap was _rudely_ interrupted so early in the morning.

Seriously! The sun's not even fully out yet!

The second reason was because he just remembered which part of the movie today is... The Deadly Nadder training.

As of now, Hiccup stood at the gates of the arena, absolutely dreading the time he has to go in there. The others, however, were already inside marveling at the tall walls of the maze.

"Today's training partner is the Deadly Nadder." Gobber declared from his position. He was leaning overhead, looking down on the arena from the metal cage.

Hiccup only groaned once more as he went inside with his Gronckle Iron shield on his left arm. The other teens were already equipped with their own shields, courtesy of last lesson from Gobber. The auburn haired boy then bumped into Fishlegs who was fidgeting nervously before catching sight of Hiccup and visibly relaxing. "Hello, Fishlegs. Have you seen Astrid?" He asked the blond Ingerman boy.

"No... I think she went deeper along with Snotlout." Fishlegs replied.

"I see."

"Now..." If anyone could see Gobber, they would catch sight of his fingers wiggling in anticipation as his hand reached for the release lever. "Let's begin!" That sounded _way_ too excited for Hiccup's, or anyone else's for that matter, liking. The man pulled the lever, and then...

 ***BAM!* "Where is that human?!"**

"Shit..." Hiccup growled under his breath before he dragged a slightly panicked Fishlegs through the rather elaborate maze that Gobber had set up for them. The dragon did _not_ like her beauty sleep being interrupted so early in the morning.

 **"How** _ **dare**_ **that human awaken me so early?! How am I supposed to maintain my beauty if I am abruptly awoken at such a time?!"**

You know, call him crazy, but Hiccup thinks Stormfly is not gonna go easy on them unlike Meatlug.

"Ohthorohthorohthor..." Fishlegs panicked as his eyes darted from wall to wall in search of the dragon.

"Fishlegs, dragons have been known to have better hearing than us so I suggest you refrain from making such panicked noises." Hiccup advised as he dragged his friend by the hand through the labyrinth. That got Fishlegs to shut up, but it still didn't stop his frantic search for the dragon.

"Today is all about _attack_." Hiccup heard Gobber declare from outside the arena, watching with hidden amusement as the trainees scatter around like ants. "Nadders are quick and light on their feet."

Hiccup then heard a _certainly-not-human_ growl. His eyes widened as he saw Stormfly glaring down at them.

"You're job is to be quicker and lighter."

"Raise shield!" Hiccup commanded as he did just that over his body for protection. Fishlegs managed to do the same before the dragon fired spikes from her tail at them.

"I'm _really_ beginning to question your teaching methods!" Fishlegs yelled as he followed Hiccup away from the dragon.

 **"Come, humans! Face me with the resolve you are so proud of!"** Stormfly roared, searching for new targets as she leaped from wall to wall.

"Stormfly's _really_ pissed off right now." Hiccup murmured as he paced through the twists and turns of the maze.

" _Stormfly_?" Fishlegs repeated incredulously.

"Not now, Fishlegs."

"Look for its blind-spot, every dragon has one. Find it, hide in it, and strike!" Gobber lectured.

Meanwhile, the twins were trying to apply said lecture as they came face to face with the dragon. Quite literally, actually. Ruffnut's nose wrinkled in disgust as a foul odour reached her nostrils. "Owh, do you _ever_ bathe?" She asked her twin brother.

"If you don't like it, then just get your own blind-spot." Tuffnut shoved her away with his shield before his sister retaliated by butting her head against his.

"How 'bout I give you one?!" Ruffnut growled.

 **"Hah! Thought you could hide from me?! I can hear you!"** Stormfly snarled as she fired her magnesium flame at the twins who managed to push themselves away from the line of fire.

"Did you really call the dragon _Stormfly_?" Fishlegs asked with disbelief. There was nothing wrong with the name as far as Fishlegs can tell, but _naming_ a dragon?!

"Yes, I did, and I do hope she doesn't spot us again because she's feeling _very_ cranky right now." Hiccup replied, keeping a look-out for the dragon.

"How would you even know if a dragon is cranky?" Fishlegs asked, more curious than accusing.

"Let's just say I can relate and leave it at that." It was a half-truth.

" _Hiccup!_ " The boy heard someone loudly whisper his name. He then saw Astrid and Snotlout hidden behind a wall before hearing the dragon's almost predatory growl. Both Hiccup and Fishlegs crouched down near Snotlout.

 **"Where are you, humans? I know you're nearby~"** Stormfly let out a menacing purr as she searched for the teens.

Astrid then saw an opening and gestured for the others to follow her before quickly tumbling to the adjacent wall. Snotlout and Hiccup managed to follow her, but Fishlegs tried to simply dash his way and was seen by Stormfly.

 **"There you are!"** The tone Stormfly used on that statement was far too sickly for Hiccup's liking.

" _Eek!_ " Totally a _manly_ scream by the way.

"Fishlegs!" Hiccup yelled, chasing after the blond Ingerman boy who was being chased by the Deadly Nadder. "Time to see if this works." The auburn haired boy murmured as he raised his Gronckle Iron shield and pointed it at Stormfly.

"Bola net, fire!" He yelled(more of a desire than a necessity, really) as his shield practically _fire_ a Bola at the dragon.

 **"What?!"** Stormfly screeched as she felt her legs become entangled by the Bola before she fell to the cold hard ground with a rather undignified squawk.

Hiccup ran towards the fallen dragon. "Sorry for that, Stormfly." He said apologetically as he took out a dagger hidden in his vest to cut the ropes off.

Stormfly moaned as she stood up. **"I... I must apologize too, dear. I nearly hit you back there."** She crooned as she nuzzled her head against Hiccup's torso.

"All is forgiven, Stormfly." Hiccup's left eye shimmered a bright emerald green as he initiated his plan.

 **"Oh my..."** Stormfly rumbled as she felt her Connection link to the boy's own. **"So it is true..."**

"My friends are not to be harmed." Hiccup commanded before giving Stormfly a scratch below the chin. The dragon let out a squawk of pleasure before promptly falling down to the ground unconscious.

 _"Hiccup!"_ He heard his name being shouted by multiple people. When the teens and Gobber arrived, they were dumbfounded to see Hiccup standing beside an unconscious Deadly Nadder.

"What the...?" Snotlout mumbled rather dumbly as he stared with widened eyes. Everyone else could only look in awe.

"Well, that wasn't so hard, was it?" Hiccup gave them a smile. "Looks like our training partner has had enough for today." He patter the dragon on the head, careful not to poke himself with Stormfly's protruding head spikes. "Better escort her in before she wakes up." He started to leave.

"H-hey!" Snotlout, and the rest of the teens, chased after Hiccup.

Gobber could only look at the unconscious dragon, then to the direction Hiccup left, and then back to the dragon before he let out a confused, "What?"

Outside the arena, Hiccup leisurely walked towards the village. "Hiccup, wait up!" He heard Fishlegs call out to him. He paused in his movements and looked back to see the teens behind him.

"How did you do it?" Fishlegs asked.

"Do what?" Hiccup fought the urge to give a smug smirk.

"The Bola!" Snotlout exclaimed. "You weren't carrying anything other than your shield!" He pointed a finger at Hiccup.

"Ohhhhhh." Why, yes, Hiccup is willing to be so immature. " _That_. It's simple really." He showed them his shield. "I hid a Bola within the shield."

 _"Cool!"_ The twins exclaimed, giving the shield a look of awe.

"How did you make that?" Astrid asked, rather curious as to how the shield remained its clean shine. She remembered it being hit by a Gronckle's fire blast, but the shield didn't seem to show any signs of damage at all.

"Trader Johann provided me with the necessary components." Hiccup lied. It was a statement that was easier to accept than saying it was made using rocks and a Gronckle to create the iron necessary to forge the shield.

"Who cares what it's made out of?!" Tuffnut exclaimed.

"We want one!" Ruffnut added, giving her twin brother a high five.

Everyon decided that the twins are not to be allowed to get their hands on anything like Hiccup's shield... Except for Hiccup who entertained the idea a bit.

"Perhaps." Hiccup shrugged before continuing his way towards the village. "Anyway, I got some stuff I need to do at the forge so I ask you to not disturbe me... Unless you deem it important enough, then feel free to seek me out." He gave Astrid one last look.

Astrid quickly looked away. The boy sighed as he continued his walk.

Anyway... Time to earn Toothless'(Stryker) trust!

 **-0-**

 _Later_

"Truly, Trick and Treat are a great help to me." Hiccup mused to himself as he walked through the forest while carrying a large object with his two hands.

What's this object, you ask? Why, it's Toothless' artificial tail-fin of course! Trick and Treat managed to give him an accurate measurement of the Night Fury's tail-fin.

How they knew escaped Hiccup's knowledge even now.

"Toothless is gonna love this!" Hiccup giggled to himself. Yes, he's still not completely over the fact that Toothless is here. He's still fanboying **(Admit it, you would too)**.

Say, was that a shadow that flew overhead?

Hiccup snapped his head upwards, only to see a large _flaming_ mass fall down to the ground. The trees were set ablaze as it barrelled right through them. "You gotta be kidding me." The boy groaned as the perpetrator rose to full height. "Kickstarter..."

Indeed! The Monstrous Nightmare that chased him a few nights ago stood before him. The dragon looked around, scanning its surroundings in search of something until it landed on Hiccup. His eyes were still zombie-like by the way.

Hiccup tossed aside the artificial tail-fin. "I don't suppose you're here for a friendly chat?" The dragon only gave him a menacing snarl. "Right..." The boy turned around and ran.

" _FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!_ " If Hiccup had a moment to think, he'd probably be surprised that he could still curse in his modern English language. The dragon gave chase to the boy.

Hiccup ducked his head as a blast of fire flew narrowly missed him. He opened a link to all the dragons his Connection was linked to. He wouldn't care if it reached all the way to the dragons in the Arena. All he wanted was—

 _[Somebody help meeeeeeee!]_

 **-0-**

 ** _At the Cove_**

 _[Somebody help meeeeeeee!]_

Five dragon heads immediately shot up upon hearing the distressed call of the human.

 **"Our Leader!"** Trick screeched.  
 **"He is in danger!"** Treat wailed as the Zippleback rose from their lying position.

"What's going on?" Valka asked as she watched the Zippleback and the two Changewings practically screech in terror. The Zippleback then roared something at the two other dragons before suddenly taking off into the sky. The two Changewings looked at each other before vanishing from her sight. Only Stryker had yet to leave who was debating whether he should go or not.

Valka turned to Cloudjumper. "What's happening?" She asked her dragon friend.

Cloudjumper sniffed the air and then growled. **"The human youngling is in danger."** The Stormcutter then gestured for Valka to get on.

"Okay." Valka knew that look on her friend's face. It was a face that something bad happened and the dragon didn't like it.

Stryker stared at the last two occupants of the Cove leaving before snorting. **"Whatever. That human doesn't really mean much to me anyway."**

His heart, and his very Connection, disagreed with him.

 **-0-**

 _Back with Hiccup_

Hiccup hid behind a tree in an attempt to avoid the Monstrous Nightmare that was chasing him. "Of all the times to chase me, it had to be the time where I can only rely on my agility." He muttered to himself before a blast of blazing kerosene gel blew the top half of the tree starting above Hiccup's head. "Shit... How many shots does a Monstrous Nightmare have again?" The boy asked himself as he heard Kickstarter get closer to his location.

 _ **[I don't want to do this anymore...]**_

Hiccup shook his head as he ran away further. The closer the dragon gets, the more the boy can hear his pleas. "What has _it_ done to you?" He muttered out loud.

Another blast of flaming kerosene gel narrowly missed Hiccup. "That's probably... His fifth." Hiccup guessed as he took a turn to the left. The boy then flared another signal through the Connection in hopes that his dragon friends could find him quickly.

 _ **[Please stop... I can't do this...]**_

Hiccup gritted his teeth and came to a halt. "I can't just let him suffer." He told himself as he turned around to face the Monstrous Nightmare.

No more than ten seconds did the dragon came bursting through the trees that should've impeded his path. The dragon's mindless eyes narrowed down at Hiccup as he gave the boy a menacing hiss. Hiccup gave him a glare. "Come on!" He yelled with anticipation.

Kickstarter roared and lunged at Hiccup with his jaws. Hiccup swerved to the right, avoiding the attack, and then grabbed the dragon's horns. The dragon withdrew his head, dragging Hiccup along as he did, and started trying to shake the human off.

"Come on...!" Hiccup flared up his Connection and tried reaching out for Kickstarter's own. Immediately, a sharp pain shot through his head as his vision became enveloped with _red_.

" _Aaaaaaagggghhhh!_ " The boy screamed in pain before his hands let go of the horns of the dragon and launching him to a tree. Hiccup tried to get up but his head, along with his entire body, ached with being thrown so harshly.

The Monstrous Nightmare loomed over the boy; mouth alight, as he prepared to end the boy's life.

 _ **[Nononononononononononono]**_

Before Kickstarter could give Hiccup the finishing blow, a large mass rammed the Monstrous Nightmare away from the boy. _**"Our Leader!"**_

Trick and Treat have arrived.

Hiccup then felt two snouts nuzzle him worriedly. "Invy... Sibel..." He whizzed.

 **"Thank the skies we found you, Hiccup!"** Invy rumbled, worry evident in her voice.

 **"And not a moment too late, it seems."** Sibel added.

"Hiccup!" The boy heard his mother shout before he felt a hand touch the side of his face.

"M-ms. Dragon Lady..." Hiccup coughed a bit. "I'm fine... Kickstarter... Have to help him..."

"Kickstarter?"

"The Monstrous Nightmare... Have to subdue him. The Tyrant's in control of him." Hiccup shakily stood up. "I need to..." He collapsed on his knees. It was more from the pain he felt after trying to link his Connection with Kickstarter's own rather than being thrown at a tree.

"Don't worry. Just rest for now. They can take care of him." Valka stated as she nursed Hiccup's aching parts.

 **"I sense you are tiring, fellow dragon!"** Trick roared with confidence.  
 **"Surrender yourself and Our Leader shall grant you mercy!"** Treat added, flammable gas leaking from his mouth.

 **"..."** Kickstarter did not reply, instead he hissed at the Zippleback.

 **"What's wrong with him?"** Cloudjumper asked, although he had a pretty good idea what the answer is.

 **"He is under the Tyrant's control!"** Trick replied before the Monstrous Nightmare lunged at the Zippleback and grabbed hold of his head.  
 **"Owowowow!"** Treat hissed in pain before Trick sparked the surrounding gas, blowing away Kickstarter.

Cloudjumper fired a ball of fire at Kickstarter. The dragon hissed in pain but was otherwise fine. **"I was afraid of that."** He couldn't imagine the pain the Monstrous Nightmare was going through. To be helpless as your own body acts on another's will, committing acts that is against your very being **(Hint hint)**.

Meanwhile, Hiccup finally regained his bearings and stood up. "Thanks for that." He told the two Changewings and his mother. "Now..."

"What are you going to do?" Valka asked.

"What I need to do." Hiccup broke into a sprint towards the Monstrous Nightmare. "Trick! Treat! Hold him still!" He commanded the Zippleback.

 **"Right away, Our Leader!"** Trick roared.  
 **"Here we come, Kickstarter!"** Treat added as the Zippleback launched themselves at the Monstrous Nightmare. The two bodies connected and Kickstarter was forcibly backed up to a tree.

"Kickstarter, I command you... _Let me in!_ " Hiccup's left eye glowed a bright emerald green before Hiccup felt his Connection attempt to link with the controlled dragon's own.

 _ **[IdontwannadothisanymorepleasemakeitstopIdontwannahurthimpleaseithurtspleasejuststop]**_

 _Hiccup gritted his teeth. [Let... go of him, damn it!] He felt his Connection attempt an assault at the wall of red before him_

 _A sharp pain pierced the boy's head. [Ggggggghhhhhh...!]_

 _ **[AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!]**_

 _[Kickstarter! Hang in there! I'll free you soon enough!]_

 _ **[No... I can't... Please make it stop... I can't stop it...]**_

 _The wall of red remained steady against Hiccup's attempt._

Meanwhile, on the outside, the controlled dragon suddenly attained newfound strength as he managed to break free of Trick and Treat's hold.

 _ **"NOOOOOOO!"**_ The two-headed dragon wailed as the Monstrous Nightmare raced towards the still form of Hiccup.

 **"Oh no, you don't!"** Cloudjumper fired another round of fire blast at the Monstrous Nightmare but the dragon avoided the attack. **"Oh, skies damn it!"**

"Hiccup!" Valka shouted, rushing towards her son. _'No no no... He's going to get hurt this time!'_

Invy and Sibel also attempted to reach Hiccup when suddenly...

 ***Pew!* *BAM!***

A plasma blast came out of nowhere and impacted on the Monstrous Nightmare's side causing the controlled dragon to be knocked aside.

Hiccup collapsed on his knees as he clutched his left eye. "Kkkkkk...! Still need a bit more..."

Stryker the Night Fury had just arrived. He leaped towards Hiccup and curled around protectively. **"Consider us even, human."** He snorted at the boy while glaring at Kickstarter. **"Another one falls victim to the Tyrant's control..."**

"Yeah... But I can free him... I just need more time." Hiccup stated as he stood up, albeit shakily.

Stryker snorted. **"More time, huh? I can do that."** He fired another plasma blast at the Monstrous Nightmare, knocking him away once more. Cloudjumper, Trick and Treat, Invy, Sibel, and Valka joined his side.

 **"But if you attempt to push further with your Connection..."** Trick started.  
 **"The Tyrant will see you."** Treat finished as the two heads gave Hiccup a worried look.

"She already knows." Hiccup replied before his left eye yet again glowed a bright emerald green. However, this time, the light was stronger.

"Hiccup..." Valka muttered, staring at her son's glowing left eye.

 _[Kickstarter... I'm here...]_

 _ **[...]**_ _There was no response._

 _Hiccup bit his lip. [I know you're in there somewhere, Kickstarter. And I will free you!]_

 _Hiccup let his Connection flow once more into the wall of red and once again felt pain. [Gotta be strong... Can't give up...]_

 _The wall of red suddenly swirled around his form before he saw six angry eyes narrow down at him. It was accompanied by a sick smile._

 _ **[I SEE YOU, LITTLE MONARCH...]**_

 _Hiccup gave it a glare. [I don't care. I'm taking this dragon away from your greedy paws whether or not you can see me.]_

 _He heard laughter around the wall of red. It was raspy, almost like stone grinding stone._

 _ **[NO MATTER... HE HAS DONE HIS PURPOSE. WHETHER HE KILLS YOUR OR NOT, IT IS NONE OF MY CONCERN.]**_ _It was mocking him._

 _[It should be, you cannibalistic bitch!] Hiccup angrily roared as he felt his Connection become stronger. He's determined to save Kickstarter way too much to allow himself to be deterred by taunts._

 _The wall of red suddenly found itself being pushed back by a mist of green. The six eyes widened in surprise._

 _ **[OHHHHHHH... I SEE IT HAS GROWN STRONGER...]**_ _The Tyrant let out a chuckle._

 _[RRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!] The mist of green lashed out to the wall of red, pushing it back before completely erasing its presence from the Connection of the dragon. [Ha... I did it, Kickstarter...]_

 _ **[SOON, LITTLE MONARCH... WE'LL SEE HOW STRONG YOU'VE REALLY BECOME...]**_

"Hiccup!"

 _ **"Our Leader!"**_

 **"Hiccup!"**

 **"Hey, Youngling! Wake up!"**

 _Those were the last things Hiccup heard before he fell into unconsciousness._

 **-0-**

 _At the Village, Night Time_

It was a quiet night at Berk. Although, same could be said with the previous nights that occurred coincidentally after the Chief and some other battle ready Vikings, left for another Nest hunt. Anyway, point is, it's a peaceful night where everyone can easily park their heads and sleep peacefully.

So of course Gobber would decide that tonight's the perfect time to take the trainees(Minus Hiccup, he can't seem to find the lad anywhere) up on one of the watch towers and have a relaxing time in front of the lit fire pit while roasting chickens.

"—And with one twist, he took my hand and swallowed it _whole!_ Then I saw the look on his face... _I was delicious._ "

The teens were not quite sure whether Gobber was genuinely proud of that(In which case, they should probably consider their future) or he was just adding it for dramatic effect.

"He must've passed the word around because it wasn't a month before another one of them took my leg." Gobber gestured to his wooden peg leg.

The teens let out "Ooooh"s and "Woah"s at Gobber's story.

"Isn't it weird to think that your hand was inside a dragon? Like your mind was still in control of it?" Fishlegs mused out loud, absentmindedly wrestling his two roasted Chicken drumsticks. "You could have killed the dragon from the inside by crushing his heart or something."

"Yes, Fishlegs." Astrid replied, rolling her eyes. "It's weird to think about it, and I don't need that image in my head."

"Sorry." Fishlegs sheepishly replied.

Snotlout, choosing to ignore the blond and husky Ingerman boy's words, glared angrily at his roasted chicken. "I swear I'm so _angry_ right now! I'll avenge your beautiful hand and your beautiful foot! I'll chop off the limbs of every dragon I fight. With my face." The Jorgenson boy declared.

Gobber shook his head. "Ah, no, it's the wings and tail you really want. If it can't fly, it can't get away. A _downed_ dragon is a _dead_ dragon."

Somehow, that phrase gave the teens a mental image of the rope-bounded Night Fury a few days ago.

"Hey, guys." Ruffnut started, glancing at the vacant space which was where Hiccup was supposed to sit at. "Has anyone seen Hiccup? Haven't seen him after he said he was going to the forge."

"Does seeing him yesterday count?" Tuffnut intentionally asked that dumb reply.

He was rewarded with a ***SMACK!***

"N... no." was Astrid's rather meek reply.

"Haven't seen him either. Oooh, I wanted to ask him about his shield!" Fishlegs stated, getting a bit more excited at the prospects of examining Hiccup's shield.

"Nope." Snotlout nonchalantly replied.

Gobbr merely shrugged. "Ah, the lad's probably in the forest again. He's been doing that a lot lately." The half-limbed man said before letting out a yawn.

Good thing too. Because the moment he yawned, everyone else nervously shuffled as the encounter with the Night Fury replayed in their minds.

"Alright, I'm off to bed. You should be too. Tomorrow we get to the big boys." The teens removed all previous thoughts and got excited with Gobber's statement as they leaned in closer. "Slowly, but surely, making our way up to the Monstrous Nightmare, but who'll win the honour of killing it?"

"It's gonna be me. It's my destiny." Tuffnut declared.

"What? No way, it's gotta be Hiccup. He's the best out of all of us." Ruffnut shot back.

"Yeah, but he's after the Ni—"

 _"Don't!"_ Everyone cut off Tuffnut's response. The male Thorston twin, realizing his near blunder, shut his mouth.

"Oh?" Gobber quirked an eyebrow. "And what is Hiccup after?" He asked, his tone of voice nearing the lengths of demanding. The man did not like being kept in the dark when it comes to his apprentice.

"T-the..." Tuffnut stammered.

"H-he's, uh..." Ruffnut couldn't form any words.

Gobber gave them a narrowed look. "Come on. Spit it out."

"He's after..." Snotlout doesn't really know why he's defending his cousin's secret. He just had this nagging feeling that tells him it's a bad idea to reveal it.

"The..." Fishlegs dumbly attempted to answer.

"A new species of dragon he saw in the forest!" Astrid blurted out.

Everyone gave her a bemused look.

"Uh... Hiccup told me a few days back that he might've seen a new species of dragon he saw in the forest." Astrid wasn't technically telling a lie. Hiccup _was_ probably looking for the Night Fury so it wouldn't count as lying. "He said it only comes out at night so Hiccup couldn't join us right now!" She gave Gobber a _hopefully-convincing_ grin.

Everyone mouthed her a "Nice work, Astrid!" and gave her a thumbs up.

Gobber stared at the blonde shield-maiden with suspicious eyes for a few seconds. "...Alright then. Good night." He said before standing up from his seat and marched down the stairs.

Everyone let out a sigh of relief once the man was gone.

"That was a close one." Snotlout remarked.

"I don't think he's really convinced though." Astrid commented.

"No thanks to doofus over here." Ruffnut pointed a thumb at her brother.

"Hey!" Tuffnut yanked on his sister's hair.

"Ow! Hey, quit it!"

"Why are we even keeping this a secret again? It's a Night Fury for Thor's sake! Hiccup might get hurt!" Snotlout angrily yelled. Not that... He'd care what happens to his cousin, of course. He's just... Uh, making sure.

"Because Hiccup said we should?" Fishlegs replied.

"We don't even know if he's still okay at this point! It's a Night fury!" The Jorgenson boy shot back.

Astrid stood up. "Look, if Hiccup said he could handle it, then he can handle it. I'm sure of that." She assured Snotlout who relaxed at her answer.

"...Fine."

That really didn't stop them from wondering just _where_ is Hiccup.

 **-0-**

 _With Valka_

Have you ever asked yourself how many times a person can pace back and forth until he/she realized it? Or at least until someone pointed it out?

If yes, do please share with me your findings. If not, me neither.

That was the case of Valka as she worryingly pace back and forth while occasionally checking to see if her son was still, well, breathing.

He was, and still is. But a worried mother is never satisfied by once... Or twice... Or thrice... Or— You get the idea.

 **"You're pacing, you know that right?"** Cloudjumper commented.

 **"I honestly stopped counting how many times you told her that."** Stryker grumbled, his eyes half-lidded as sleep prepares to take him.

"I know I'm pacing, Cloudjumper." Valka replied, coming to a halt. "I just... Can't help myself." The woman sighed.

Cloudjumper glanced over the unconscious form of Hiccup, then to the also unconscious Monstrous Nightmare, and then finally to the three other dragons. The Changewing siblings have already called it a night while Trick and Treat, ever the overzealous Zippleback he is, dutifully(or rather, tiredly) watched over the two unconscious beings. **"You know, you need some sleep. You don't look so good."** The Stormcutter informed the two-headed dragon.

Right on the mark as Trick was nearing his limit. **"Guh!"** Trick snapped his eyes open  
 **"Never! We shall watch over Our Leader and..."** Treat's eyes started drooping.  
Trick smacked his head on Treat's own. _**"And we shall remain vigilant!"**_

Cloudjumper rolled his eyes. **_'Whatever. They'll fall asleep regardless.'_**

Valka knelt down in front of her son to check her son's breathing once again. "Oh, Hiccup..." She mumbled, rather crestfallen at seeing her son in such a state.

She just... Felt so helpless. She faced and befriended even the most ferocious and wary of dragons, fought trappers while simultaneously freeing other dragons from their traps, and even sometimes directly confronting that madman Drago Bludvist. Yet... Here, she was helpless to even help her own son.

"What kind of mother am I? Letting my own son nearly die twice?" The woman miserably sighed.

Cloudjumper walked over to her side. **"Hey, hey. They weren't your fault. I doubt the youngling would hold it against you so don't be so hard on yourself."** The Stormcutter nuzzled his rider for assurance. **"It's getting late. You should rest."**

Valka glanced at the night sky. "You're right... It is pretty late." She then lied down beside Hiccup and then gave the boy a motherly goodnight kiss on the boy's forehead. "Goodnight... Son."

"G'night... mom."

Valka widened her eyes as she heard Hiccup's mumble. "M... Mom?" Could he...? The woman shook her head. No, he couldn't have known. He's probably... Dreaming about the last time he saw her... As a babe.

If anything, that only made Valka pity her son as gears started turning in her head. Fourteen years... She knew that simply befriending dragons was _not_ an act any Viking could... _Would_ do on their own. Could Hiccup have... It was certainly possible. Physical appearance wise, his son didn't really look appealing to Vikings. He might've been...

Valka shuddered at the implications. Her son was probably bullied to the point he had lost his trust towards humans and had risked placing it on the dragons just for the simple reason of having someone who wouldn't harm him for being... A _Hiccup_.

Valka inched closer to Hiccup. "I'm so sorry, son..." She told him. She knew he can't hear him but...

"All these years... And where was I?" She knew what it was like to be ostracized; to never belong simply because of thinking differently... But for a child to experience it for his entire life...

"I'll make it up to you, son. I promise you that." Valka let her eyes close as sleep finally starts claiming her, promising to herself to give her son what he had most definitely lacked for the entirety of his life.

Cloudjumper, who had simply watched the scene, stared at Hiccup with an almost stupefied expression. **"... You knew all along, didn't you?"**

The only reply the boy gave was a faint smile.

* * *

 **A/n: I don't know if I got it right... On one hand, it's a bit saddening for Valka... But on the other hand, it's kind of amusing since Hiccup/Henry already knew her identity. Anyway, here's the next update for you guys. Hopefully this makes up for the long time it took to update. Don't have a lot to say so I'll make this quick. What do you think of my new line breaks? Oh, and the new way I styled communication during the use of the Connection. Lemme know what you guys think, 'kay? See you in the next update! Bye bye~!**


	12. Best day of my--OW!

_Morning_

"Errrrrggghhh..."

Ever had one of those mornings that when you wake up you felt as if some bones _may_ need to be reminded where they were supposed to be placed?

Personally, I didn't. But I bet this—

 ***Pop* *Pop* *Crack***

—Is what it sounds like!

"How long had I been asleep?" Hiccup asked out loud, craning his neck.

 ** _"Since yesterday, Our Leader!_** _"_ Came the very enthusiastic, and very loud, reply of Trick and Treat.

Hiccup flinched at the noise. "You two, be quiet." He demanded to the Zippleback.

 ** _"Yes, Our Leader."_** The Zippleback sounded rather dejected.

"Oh! Good morning, so—!" A slight pause. "Er, Hiccup."

"Ms. Dragon Lady." Hiccup greeted back. He'd be lying if he said that was the first response his mind offered him.

Valka walked towards Hiccup and then suddenly gave the boy a hug. "I was so worried about you yesterday." Her voice seemed to crack a bit.

Hiccup winced a bit. "My apologies, Ms. Dra—"

Valka interrupted him. "Please, call me Valka." She gave Hiccup and almost motherly smile.

"... Ms. Valka." Hiccup wasn't sure where that came from. "But it was the only way I could help Kickstarter. Besides—" He twirled his shoulders.

 ***Pop* *Pop***

"—I'm fine for the most part."

Valka gave the boy an unamused look.

"Eh..." Hiccup sheepishly scratched the back of his head. The teen can't help but feel nostalgic at the look. He remembered when his mother from his previous life used to give him the same look.

Valka dropped her look and just sighed before giving Hiccup another hug. " Just don't do anything reckless like that again."

"I won't." Hiccup told her. _'What she doesn't know won't hurt her.'_

Because, seriously, he's Hiccup Horrendous _freaking_ Haddock III! Not to mention, the glowy eye thingy would probably make his life more complicated than it should be!

He is _oh-so_ dreading the time he comes face to face with Drago Bludvist.

" **Glad to see you're awake, youngling."**

Hiccup tilted his head a bit to look past his mother and saw the Stormcutter. "Cloudjumper." He greeted the dragon. The boy scanned the area, in search of something. "Where's...?"

" _ **Hiccup!"**_

' _There they are.'_ Hiccup saw the two Changewing siblings. Accompanying them was Stryker the Night Fury. The teen fought down the urge to simply rush towards the jet-black dragon and just hug and never let go.

Seriously, it's getting _really_ hard to do so.

" **We caught breakfast!"** Sibel happily declared, gesturing towards the pile of fish at the side.

"My thanks for your initiative, Changewing siblings, but you do realize I am incapable of eating those." Hiccup replied.

" **We know that."** Invy stated. **"That's why you're mother set up a fire pit!"**

Indeed there was a fire pit! Recently made too. How convenient. Hiccup looked at his mother. "Thanks for that. Despite my best efforts, I was never really a good fire starter." The teen gave Valka a thankful smile.

Valka smiled back. "Come on then. Let's eat." She said before walking towards the fire pit. Hiccup's stomach growled in response, rather loudly as Valka gave the boy a knowing look. Hiccup's face flushed in embarrassment before he joined his mother.

" **Hey, human."** Hiccup turned his head towards Stryker. **"After yesterday, know that I don't owe you any favours."** The Night Fury huffed.

Hiccup gave him a smile. "There were no favours to repay, my dragon fri—"

One look from the dragon was enough to tell Hiccup that Stryker was having none of that. He then turned his head away, silently sulking. _'Toothless dislikes me...'_

How tragic, Henry. Truly, truly tragic.

"What's with that look, Hiccup?" Valka asked, noticing her son's crestfallen look.

Hiccup immediately wiped the look off his face. "Nothing! I have..." Hiccup thought of a reason worthy of his sullen look. "Lost the apology gift that I was going to give Stryker here!" He gestured to the Night Fury who gave him a questioning look.

" **... An apology gift?"**

"Yes!" Hiccup was so glad all those times he practiced in front of a mirror in preparation for the time when he gets to meet Toothless paid off. "I was supposed to give you a compensation for your..." The boy simply gestured to Stryker's tail-fin.

" _ **Not to worry, Our Leader!"**_ Trick and Treat, who simply came out of nowhere(actually they dropped down from the sky), proudly declared.

"You do?" Hiccup asked with hope in his voice.

" **Yes!"** Trick started.  
 **"Thanks to Kickstarter, of course!"** Treat happily continued, gesturing to the Monstrous Nightmare.

" **H... Hello, human."** Kickstarter replied.

"I am happy to see you are okay now, Kickstarter." Hiccup told the dragon with a relieved smile **(I wonder how many emotions a smile can really give...)**.

" **Y-yes, M-my Leader."** Kickstarter replied, rather shakily for a dragon such as himself. He's a Monstrous Nightmare, not exactly the image of meekness if you know what I'm saying.

Hiccup's irritation levels rose a bit. "You have been hanging out with Trick and Treat, haven't you?" The boy's tone held a dangerous edge to it as his eyes slowly gazed to the Zippleback.

" **Eek!"** Trick screeched, eyes widening in fear.  
 **"W-we were t-teaching him the p-proer ways of addressing you, Our Leader!"** Treat whimpered with the same fearful expression.

Hiccup glowered at the two-headed dragon. "No fish for you this breakfast."

Valka laughed a bit. "Oh come now, Hiccup. Don't be so harsh on the poor dear. They're just helping out a fellow dragon." She teasingly chided her son.

Hiccup forced down the urge to give his mother an irritated look and opted to sigh. "Helping me irritate me more, that is." The boy turned to look at Kickstarter. "Please, Kickstarter. We're friends, aren't we? Just call me Hiccup."

" **Yes, M…** _ **Hiccup**_ **."** The Monstrous Nightmare murmured.

"Good." Hiccup turned to Valka. "Let's eat then. I'm starving!"

And so they ate breakfast under the peaceful, yet still rising, sun… Except for Trick and Treat who sulked in a corner.

" **So…"** Stryker started, pausing a bit to swallow a cod. **"What's this about a gift for me?"**

"Oh!" Hiccup fought back the urge to childishly giggle. "As I have stated, it is a compensation for your missing tail-fin! I told you before, didn't I? I'd rather deliver than promise." He said with confidence in his voice.

Maybe if they were trained in Oral Communication they would've sense at least a _tiny_ amount of childish joy hidden in Hiccup's voice.

" **It better be good."** Stryker huffed.

"Do not worry! You will be overjoyed once I show it to you!" Okay, maybe not, but at least one person would be.

After eating, Hiccup had asked the Zippleback where they had stored his invention. Once he had retrieved it, he showed it to the Night Fury.

"… **What is it?"** Stryker asked, cautiously eyeing the contraption the human held in his hands.

"It's an artificial tail-fin that will allow you to take flight once more!" It was the simplified version, but it was all they needed to hear.

" **A tail-fin…"** Stryker blinked. **"To replace the one I lost?"**

"Yes! All you have to do is stay still and I shall install this contraption to you and you'll be flying up in the air in no time!" Hiccup failed to hide the eagerness of his voice but the Night Fury ignored it.

Age apparently does not equal maturity sometimes.

" **That youngling is** _ **way**_ **too excited in my opinion."** Cloudjumper commented. Valka shushed him as she was curious to see how Hiccup could help the Night Fury fly once again.

" **And… How can that help me fly?"** Stryker asked.

Hiccup's smile would've grown wider had he lacked the sufficient self-control. "I'm gonna have to fly with you!"

Those who were still eating nearly choked.

" **You… What?!"** Stryker gave the human an incredulous look.

' _That was… Unexpected.'_ Valka thought to herself. Sure, the idea of soaring through the skies on dragon back alongside her son was a fantastic idea…

Really, she just wasn't expecting that.

"I know I know; it sounds crazy."

" **Ludicrous even!"** Stryker scoffed at the idea.

Cloudjumoer snorted at the younger dragon's words. **"Hey,** _ **I**_ **have a human riding on my back and I'm not really complaining."**

You know, I could probably insert a joke here but I'm gonna be the mature man and—

" **I don't care! I'm not just gonna let a human ride me!"**

I'm not sorry… Okay, maybe a little bit.

Hiccup lowered the contraption in his hands. "Look, I truly am sorry for your tail-fin and I'm trying to make it up to you."

" **You're not asking whether I'm okay with your methods or not."** Stryker growled.

Hiccup let out a melancholic sigh. "I suppose I haven't taken that into consideration." Honestly, this was way harder than he'd thought it'd be.

Stryker took another look at the contraption in the human's hands, and then moved his gaze towards the Monstrous Nightmare.

He _did_ say he'll take whatever chance he'll get so long as he can fly again and free the other dragons…

But placing his trust in such a level to a human, of all things, would be, to quote practically every dragon he knew back at the Nest, the height of foolishness.

But the other dragons… They Tyrant is growing stronger and he has no means of fighting back against it on his own.

But humans are untrustworthy! They _kill_ dragons just for the fun of it.

He cannot afford to lose any chance to save his fellow dragons from the Tyrant… He promised them that.

…

Stryker took a sharp intake of breath as he made up his mind. **"… Fine."**

Hiccup blinked. "Really?"

" **If… If I can fly again and free my fellow dragons by trusting you, so be it."** Stryker declared with resolution.

Hiccup nodded. "Well said, my friend."

" **Don't push it."**

"… Okay." Hiccup walked over to Stryker's tail and sat on it. "Now, please refrain from moving a lot as it will make it difficult for me to put all this on you."

Stryker smirked and did the exact opposite of that which caused Hiccup to yelp in surprise.

"I deserve that..." Hiccup moaned, fixing himself upright. "But, please, I have just remembered I am in a tight schedule as it is."

No, really. He just remembered that he was supposed to be back at Berk instead of taking a night off in the Cove. Great... More headaches to deal with.

Once he had installed everything that was needed to be put on, Hiccup stepped back to admire his work.

Stryker grumbled as he fidgeted a bit due to the foreign objects strapped around his body. **"This feels uncomfortable."**

"Yes, I suppose I need to adjust a few things." Hiccup mused out loud before walking off towards the exit of the Cove.

"Hiccup, where are you going?" Valka asked.

"Back to the village, of course. My overnight stay here is likely to draw suspicion among my fellow peers. Do please make yourselves comfy while I'm gone." Hiccup, without turning back to face them, gave them a wave of goodbye before exiting the Cove.

Once he's gone, an almost uncomfortable silence settled in the Cove.

" **So..."** Stryker decided to strike up a conversation with the other dragons linked to the human's Connection. **"How did you guys meet with him?"**

" _ **We are glad you asked, Stryker!"**_ The Zippleback exclaimed with joy as they began their, in their most humble opinion, most life-changing meeting with the human that they came to know as their Leader.

Stryker thinks that he might've chosen the wrong conversation partner...

 **-0-**

 _At the Village_

As Hiccup had thought, his disappearance during yesterday earned him some suspicion. Well, sort of. The villagers who were quite attentive had asked him why he was nowhere to be seen yesterday. He was quick to assure them that he was fine and had simply been training in the forest the whole time.

However, the situation was quite different when he had reached the Dragon Arena.

"Hiccup! There you are!"

"Where've you been? You were gone for an entire day!"

"Did you find the Night Fury?"

"Did you fight it?"

"You got them all worried, cousin. I, of course, wasn't."

Hiccup raised both of his hands in a gesture of _'stop'_. "Guys, guys. I'm fine. I was only at the forest in search of the dragon, and no I haven't found it yet." He told his friends.

"Well..." Hiccup felt Gobber's presence behind him. Or, to be more accurate, saw the man's shadow. "Glad you made it to today's lesson, Hiccup." The half-limbed man stated with a tone that suggested he wanted Hiccup to say something.

There comes a time when Gobber would jump out of Hiccup's ability to weasel his way out of anything the man would want out of Hiccup. This is one of those times.

Hiccup gulped nervously. "Haha... I don't suppose my friends have mentioned anything that could be a possible explanation to my disappearance yesterday?" He asked as he gave a look towards the teens that shook their heads in response.

"Oh they told me something alright. They told me you were out searching for a new dragon. But that'll come up later." Gobber pushed Hiccup towards the other teens. "Today's training partner is the Hideous Zippleback. You see those buckets of water?" The man gestured to the six buckets of water all lined up. "Leave your weapons outside and pick one up."

Everyone did as told and, albeit hesitantly, entered the arena. Gobber then sauntered inside with them before he gestured for a random Viking to pull the Zippleback cage's release lever. The man nodded and pulled the lever which resulted in a—

 ***BAM!*** Green mist that smells of gas started to pour out and shroud the area.

"Today is about teamwork." Gobber informed the recruits as he stepped away from them. "Now a wet dragon's head can't light its fire. The Hideous Zippleback is _extra_ tricky. One head breathes gas, the other head lights it. You're job is to know which is which."

The mist forced the teens to separate and form into a two-partnered group as it fully encompassed their field of vision. Hiccup was partnered with Fishlegs who was panicking a bit. "Razor sharp serrated teeth, it injects venom for pre-digestion... First ambush attacks by crushing its victims..." The husky Ingerman boy mumbled nervously.

"Calm yourself, Fishlegs. The Zippleback is a mischievous dragon; the more fear you show, the higher the chance the dragon will target you." Hiccup advised.

That got Fishlegs to cease his mumblings; however it did not quell his fear. "How do you know that?"

"Let's just say I've had enough experience in that particular study and leave it at that." Hiccup told him before grabbing the larger boy's hands and started to move.

"H-hey! Hiccup, what are you doing?! We might run into the dragon!" Fishlegs squeaked. Although his larger amount of mass could allow him to break free from Hiccup's hold, he'd rather stick close to the person that managed to save him from being turned to a pin cushion by the Deadly Nadder, or Stormfly as Hiccup had called it.

"We need to get out of here. The gas is extremely flammable and a single spark could blow us all to Valhalla." Not that Barf and Belch would actually blow them all up. It wasn't in the two-headed dragon's nature. Well, killing is sort of part of it but he knew that the Zippleback they were facing would rather toy with them rather than killing them outright. "We need to find the others and regroup."

Meanwhile, Snotlout and Tuffnut were circling around in search of the dragon while lightly shoving each other away. "If that dragon shows either of its faces, I'm gonna..." Snotlout saw a figure approaching them. "There!" He pointed at it and threw the contents of his bucket at it. Tuffnut immediately did the same.

This earned them two yelps of surprises.

"Snotlout! What the Hel?!" That was Fishlegs' voice!

"Ugh... Now I have to change my schedule to clean this up." Came Hiccup's voice.

"Hiccup? Fishlegs? What are you doing here?" Tuffnut asked.

"We are trying to regroup. The dragon is nearby and it will pick us up one by one if we do not stick together." Hiccup replied before looking past Snotlout and Tuffnut. "Speaking of the dragon..." He hurriedly stepped closer to Tuffnut and Snotlout before yanking them away from their position.

Good thing too as Hiccup faintly saw a jaw snap from the cover of the thick green colored gas.

"Why did you do that?!" Snotlout exclaimed, rather peeved that his cousin just yanked him without any warning.

"Leave."

"What?" Tuffnut asked, confused at Hiccup's order.

"Leave now. Find Astrid and Ruffnut. The dragon is just in front of us." Hiccup stated before dropping his bucket of water. "Well? Go!" Fishlegs, Snotlout, and Tuffnut hurriedly complied after hearing the seriousness of Hiccup's voice.

"Show yourselves, Barf and Belch. I can sense you." Hiccup called out to the dragon. He was greeted by silence...

Hiccup rolled back as a tail that aimed to sweep him off his feet came.

" **If it isn't dear Hiccup."** Barf purred.  
 **"Come to add us to your growing Connection then?"** Belch added. The Zippleback was still obscured by the thick gas.

"I assume you have been informed by Meatlug and Stormfly." Hiccup said as his eyes searched for any signs of attack. Despite being friends with the two-headed dragon, Barf and Belch had no qualms _"playing"_ with Hiccup.

" **True, true."** Barf replied.  
 **"But we shall not let you off so easy, dear Hiccup."** Belch added as the two heads started to slither out of the smoke.

"I would be insulted if you did." Hiccup remarked, crouching into a defensive stance.

" _ **Then let's play!"**_ Both heads roared excitedly the Zippleback showed itself to Hiccup. The Zippleback's eyes glinted with mischief as they prepped up an attack for the boy.

Meanwhile, with the other trainees, the three boys managed to find Astrid and Ruffnut.

"Fishlegs? Snotlout? Tuffnut? What are you doing here?" Astrid asked. She then noticed something off. "Where's Hiccup?"

"He... He stayed behind to fend off the Zippleback, I think." Fishlegs replied.

" _What?!"_ That was Astrid, Ruffnut, and Gobber's voice exclaiming that one word.

"M-maybe he's just fine?" Tuffnut added.

Suddenly, a torrent of flame erupted from the smoke followed by Hiccup rolling back to avoid said torrent. "Guh..." Hiccup grunted as he came to a halt.

" _Hiccup!"_

"You guys might want to stay back a bit...!" Hiccup advised them as he vaulted to the left to avoid a lunge from Barf's head. Gobber and the other trainees could only watch as Hiccup narrowly avoided another blast from the Zippleback.

"Gobber, do something!" Snotlout was the only one that could voice out everyone's thoughts as Astrid and Fishlegs were panicking too much to speak while the twins were unable to speak as their mouths were too busy biting their own hands.

Gobber started to move to help Hiccup out of the _most-likely-life-threatening_ situation but was interrupted when a torrent of flame almost hit both him and the trainees. "Hiccup!" The man shrieked at the boy who was constantly on the move.

"I got this, guys! Don't worry!" Hiccup assured them(although he was not really convincing anyone). Dodging another torrent of flames by rolling forward, Hiccup ran past the Zippleback and then smacked his hand on the two-headed dragon's side. "Tag, you're it!" The boy laughed out loud.

" **Hey!"** Barf roared.  
 **"No one tags us and gets away with it!"** Belch added as the Zippleback chased after the boy.

Hiccup was actually leading the dragon back to their cage and distracting them with the Zippleback's favourite game, Tag. "Nanananana~!" Hiccup chanted as he ran inside the cage.

" _ **You're cornered!"**_ Both heads of the Zippleback exclaimed as the dragon entered inside the cage.

Hiccup grinned as he managed to get past the dragon and outside the cage. He hurriedly closed both gates, but not giving the Zippleback a remark. "It appears I win this time, Barf and Belch." His left eye glowed a bright emerald green and felt his Connection link with the Zippleback's own.

" **Oh come on!"** Barf whined.  
 **"You cheated!"** Belch added before the gates of the cage closed in on the Zippleback.

After the cage was secured, he turned to face the others. They all looked at him with shocked faces. Hiccup decided that he should get out of here as quick as he could. "Okay! So are we done? Because I got some things I need to do that will make me busy for a while." Hiccup then hurriedly made his way out of the arena, ignoring the gawks and calls of his name.

 **-0-**

 _At the Forge_

"Come on... Where is it?"

One thing that you dear readers must remember is that Henry is an initiative person. So it shouldn't come off as a surprise that he already has a saddle made even before meeting Stryker.

"Gah!" ***CRASH!*** "Stupid hunks of metal..."

Also, he's an HTTYD fan, so do please forgive him if he's not at the most organized of mindsets right now.

"Aha! Found it!" Hiccup happily exclaimed, picking up a slightly dusty saddle made in the likeness of the animated series. No, really... Every. _Single_. Detail.

Suddenly, Hiccup heard sounds just outside of his little room. Footsteps... Or, to be more specific, one foot and a peg leg. "Found what, lad?"

"Gobber!" Hiccup quickly turned around to face Gobber who had entered his workshop, easily taking over what little space was inside it, and hid the saddle behind his back. Of course, like in every similar situations Hiccup has seen before, he was caught red-handed. "What... Brings you here in my little domain?"

"You didn't really think I was gonna let you off that easy, did you lad?" Gobber narrowed his eyes at Hiccup who could only gulp nervously.

"Of course I didn't." Hiccup replied. "I simply thought that it could be put off at a later date."

"You're a good liar, Hiccup. Gods know how many times you've tricked your friends, Stoick, and me as well." Gobber told the boy who would most likely be sweating bullets right now if he could.

"Me? A liar? Why, Gobber, your words wound me." Hiccup mock-gasped in an attempt to divert the conversation to a more controllable scenario.

"Hiccup." There was no mirth in Gobber's tone. He was serious.

Hiccup gulped. "Y-yes, Gobber?"

"What are you hiding? Where were you last night?" Gobber asked the boy.

Hiccup's mind quickly attempted to make appropriate and suspicion-free replies to that. "I was..." He could not allow even the slightest of clue to his dragon friends, Toothless, or even his mother and Cloudjumper. "... Training."

Gobber didn't buy it. "The truth, Hiccup." That was when he decided to question the glaringly obvious object that the boy tried to hide behind his back. "And what's with that?" He pointed at the object.

"This?" Hiccup revealed the saddle to Gobber. "Just a side project of mine, really. My first attempt at sewing leather." He answered with a _fake-but-pretty-convincing-proud_ smile.

Okay, I lied. Hiccup was genuinely proud of his achievement to not only create a saddle with his own two hands, but to replicate every single detail of the saddle of the original Hiccup. Not to mention, the artificial Tail-fin and the mechanics behind it is, in Hiccup's opinion, his best creation as of yet(Of course it was a given that Endeavor is still his favorite).

Hey, the most important thing about using a facade to hide something is to actually mean it while actually trying to hide something else.

"As for my suspicious and worrying absence yesterday..." Now comes the hard part. He's gotta have to be extra careful with the details on this one. "I will admit that training is only one of the reasons for that, and I do feel slightly guilty for trying to keep a secret from you, of all people, Gobber."

Gobber gave the boy a bored look.

"Erk..." Hiccup winced. "Anyway, what exactly did my friends told you about me yesterday?"

"They told me you were after a new species of dragon that only comes out at night." Gobber scoffed. "Right, and I'm Thor."

Hiccup mentally groaned. _'Of course. What was I expecting?'_ He thought to himself before coming up with the appropriate response. "Well... Partially true, I suppose. But not quite the whole story." He supposed that telling a half-truth shall suffice.

"Then what is the _'whole'_ story?"

Hiccup nodded. "Right. So I was out by the forest practicing with Endeavor while trying to actually track a dragon. Not a new species, mind you. Just a dragon that I thought was wandering around the forest. Anyway, I was wandering around the forest when a _Monstrous Nightmare_ came falling out of the fucking sky!"

Gobber gave him a dubious look, obviously indicating that he found Hiccup's story hard to believe.

Hiccup ignored the half-limbed man's stare and continued on with his story. "As such, I did the most sensible thing anyone in my position would do!" Discounting people like his parents, of course. "Run towards the opposite direction!"

Gobber was not too sure if he actually heard some pride in Hiccup's voice as he proclaimed that.

"However, despite my best efforts to evade the dragon, it was not without some... Complications" Hiccup scratched the back of his head for effect. "I had apparently run off to a deeper part of the forest of which, though I am loath to admit, I have gotten lost." Hiccup sighed with a mixture of embarrassment and regret.

"So let me get this straight..." Gobber pinched the ridge of his eyebrows. "You're telling me that you were out by the forest trying to find a dragon. But then you were attacked by a Monstrous Nightmare, of _all_ the dragons, and then you got lost."

"Of which I had to spend the entire time in a Cove, beautiful place by the way, and wait until I can get my strength back... Or at least, feel my legs once more."

"And then you come back to the village the day after. That about right, lad?" Gobber gave Hiccup a questioning look.

Thankfully, Hiccup was trained to handle this situation. And by trained, I meant that he spent a few hours in front of the mirror doing his best to re-enact scenarios of similar circumstances to this very situation he is now in. "I know it is hard to believe, Gobber, but you have to trust me on this one. I'm telling the truth here."

You know, not including the parts that he secretly has the ability to communicate with dragons via the Connection, making an artificial Tail-fin and saddle for Toothless, having other dragon friends, and meeting his mother.

"Would I ever lie to you about something like that?" Seeing the look on Gobber's face, he immediately responded. "Now that I have given it thought, do not answer that. But my point still stands! My words are nothing but the truth."

Gobber stared at Hiccup's face. To be honest, he was sort inclined to believe Hiccup's words. While rather rare, encountering a dragon in the forest of Berk wasn't really all that farfetched so Hiccup being chased by a dragon wasn't really unbelievable to an extreme extent(Even then, he sometimes gets chased by a dragon even when he's in the village). Gobber sighed. "Alright, lad... I'll trust your words for it."

Hiccup let out a sigh of relief and gave Gobber a thankful smile. "I thank you for trusting me, Gobber. To be honest, I wouldn't have found my own words easy to believe either."

' _Not factoring in the circumstances that led to me being chased by a Monstrous Nightmare, of course.'_ But no one needed to know that.

"Ah, off with you, lad." Gobber shooed the boy who then ran out of the forge with the saddle. Once alone, Gobber couldn't help but take a glance at the stuff that were scattered around Hiccup's workplace. Mostly papers detailing various contraptions. One, or to be more accurate, a few captured his eye. All of the papers were drawings of an odd looking dragon in different angles; one on the front view, the other on the back view, two more on side view which covered both the left and right side of the dragon. The dragon's left tail-fin appeared to be more emphasized compared to the rest of the drawing and the dragon appeared to be sporting squiggle lines which could appear to be cables wrapped around the dragon. One final detail was a description on each of the paper's bottom part but it was written using strange looking letters that were definitely not Norse lettering. He decided that this must be something the boy truly wished to keep secret if he went to the trouble of making up his own letters just so no one can understand them. "What are you hiding, Hiccup?"

No one was there to answer the man, and he doubt Hiccup would answer even if he's still here.

 **-0-**

 _At the Cove_

My dear readers, do you still remember the fact that Henry used to own a cat that he nicknamed Toothless(Anyone accusing him that he did so just because the cat was jet-black and had green yes will be met with denial as he will state that it was just to spite the stupid cat for clawing him in the face during that one particular time).

" **No."**

Well, Toothless(Stryker) sure is reminding him of the damn cat.

"Although I am aware that you are a dragon with pride, please consider this as a speed up to me helping you fly once more."

" **I don't care. I'm not putting that on."**

Hiccup growled under his breath at the Night Fury's stubbornness. "You are not making this any easier, Night Fury."

" **Not putting it on no matter what you say, human. I am** _ **not**_ **some common animal."** Stryker snarled at the human. Seriously, he a Night Fury. No, _**THE**_ Night Fury for the love of all dragons!

Hiccup sighed. In all honesty, he should've expected this kind of reaction. The circumstances of his meeting with Toothless were severely different in comparison to how it originally went so there are bound to be some major changes to his original plan. It was a given, a scenario that Hiccup himself had foreseen the very same day that he found out about his abilities. However, simply put, his self-proclamation as an HTTYD fan appears to cloud his judgement more often than he'd prefer.

Or at least that's what he tells himself anyway.

"Very well." Hiccup decided that, if he wants to gain Toothless' most earnest trust, he shall have to work his way for it and then tossed the saddle aside. "I _am_ supposed to be the one trying to compensate you for your loss so I suppose that gives me no right to make the decisions for you."

Stryker huffed. **"That's right, human. You did this to me; you gotta make it up to me my way."** The Night Fury then looked at the artificial tail-fin. It was about the same size as his own tail-fin and it was colored red, which sort of contrasts with his jet-black scales. **"So… How do we get this started?"** He asked the human.

Hiccup perked up by hearing that. "I get on your back… Simple as that." He answered.

Stryker snorted. **"Okay…"** He then awkwardly lowered himself to a position that he thought that the human could climb on his back without any trouble.

Hiccup held back the urge to giggle like a child as he climbed on Stryker's back. He then placed his left foot on the stirrup before giving it a slight turn. He turned his head to find the artificial tail-fin respond by flapping open. "Okay… That opens that. Now… Why don't you and I take this nice and—?!"

Without warning, Stryker shot up to the sky. Apparently, Hiccup did not notice Stryker crouching into a launching position and unfurl his wings. **"Finally!"**

"— _SLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWW!"_

All the other residebts if the Cove only watched as the two got higher into the sky. For two Changewings, a Zippleback, and a Monstrous Nightmare, it was a the most bizarre thing to see; seeing a human on dragonback. For Valka and Cloudjumper, it reminded the two of the time when they started to fly together as rider and dragon.

Fun fact: Did you know Valka can scream for a very long time?

 _Anyway_ , Hiccup and Stryker can be seen barreling through the clouds and even so far as diving down near the top of the trees before flying back up. As one can imagine, Hiccup's reaction is—

"I'm riding a fucking dragon! I am literally up in the air on a dragon's back and flying faster than a fucking ship caught in a storm! _WAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHH_!"

Stryker snorted at the human's excitement. **"You've had other dragons with you, why didn't you fly with them?"**

Hiccup managed cease his joyful screaming and get his thoughts back on track from all the intense speed he and Stryker were going before deciding to answer the Night Fury. "I did not see the requirement to do so."

Anyone who is an HTTYD fan can call bullshit on that. Why? Because if you were in the world of HTTYD and _can_ ride a dragon to the skies, you would do it. The real reason as to why Hiccup hasn't climbed on any of his dragon friend's back was because he wanted to experience flying with Toothless first. The boy had honestly lost count how many times he had resisted the urge to do so.

"Let's just concentrate on getting used to this." Hiccup told Stryker as he turned his head at the back. "Okay… Let's see what this does." He then tilted the stirrup which caused the tail-fin to…

 ***Fwap*** Close in?

Both human and dragon then started falling out of the sky. " _AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!_ "

" **What are you doing, human?!"** Stryker shrieked as he tried flapping his wings but to no avail.

"Don't worry! I got this!" Returning his foot to its earlier position, the tail-fin snapped open just before they reached the trees and flew back up just before reaching the trees. Hiccup let out a sigh of relief. "Let's uh… Let's go back to the Cove for now." The boy declared before shifting the stirrup to a position that he assumed will turn them back. Stryker could only comply as they turned back to the direction of the Cove

Once the sight of the Cove reached them, the two were then presented with another problem.

"Say… How do we land?"

" **I thought you knew that."** Stryker huffed.

"Uh…" Hiccup did the same thing again where the tail-fin closed. And then they fell to the ground with a—

 ***THUD!*** With Stryker crashing on his underbelly and Hiccup being launched off of the Night Fury's back and face first into the ground.

Valka hurried over to her son. "Are you alright, Hiccup?" The woman asked with worry in her voice.

"… My pride isn't."

Stryker groaned in agreement.

* * *

 **A/n: Okay… Got this one done. Here's the next update for you, my dear readers! Sorry if the short flying scene was not well-written. I'm not good at that part. Anyway, hope you enjoy this update and I'll see you in the next chapter! Bye bye~!**


	13. When things start to get serious(slowly)

_My name is Stryker; Stryker the Night Fury. I was born and raised in the Nest with no family. Well, no blood family to be accurate. I was under the care of two other dragons that treated me like the hatchling they never had..._

 _The Queen had been hungry..._

 _My caretakers have kept me hidden in plain sight, only allowed to leave when I'm under watchful eye and when everyone else is asleep. They were able to mask my Connection since it was too young to be noticeable. However, when I grew up and my caretakers were no longer able to hide me..._

 _I had no family to call my own after that._

 _I was spared of the Queen's hunger. She thought I was too unique to simply gobble up so she kept me around, had other dragons tutor me all about what it means being under her rule. Once, I had been deemed ready, the Queen had decided to officially establish me under her rule, which was when I had discovered I could resist her control. That was when the other dragons had given me a mission._

 _To kill the Queen and free my fellow dragons. That is my purpose._

 _But I could not accomplish that overnight. So, in the meantime, I did anything the Queen told me to. My feats were enough for the Queen to bestow upon me a name, the highest honor a dragon could receive._

 _I was given the name Stryker for my precision is flawless. I am respected by dragons and feared by humans._

" _ **Hey! Hey, Stryker, wake up!"**_

 _However, that does not mean that all dragons treat me with the respect my name came with._

 _One of my eyes slowly opened to try and catch a glimpse of whoever decided to wake me up. What I saw was a blurry figure, but I had seen it enough times to recognize who it was._

" _ **Nadder..."**_ _Was the tired reply that came out of my mouth. I then arose from my sleep and started stretching with a yawn_ _ **(I believe a relatable image is that of cat stretching out)**_ _._ _ **"It is too early for this. The Queen—"**_ _The word sours my tongue._ _ **"—does not like hearing even the slightest of noises so early."**_

 _The Nadder, whose color scheme consists primarily of Orange with strips of blue, merely let out a squawk._ _ **"The Queen**_ **is** _ **the reason why I woke you. She wants us to hunt once more."**_

 _I gave him a confused look._ _ **"This early? We just went out on a hunt not too long ago. The wounded are still recovering."**_

 _The Nadder seemed hesitant for a moment._ _ **"Well, yes, but..."**_

 _Suddenly, an imposing presence shot through the Connection. It was the Tyrant's..._

 _ **[YOU'RE QUEEN DEMANDS MORE FOOD! GO AND HUNT ONCE MORE!]**_

 _I let out a resentful growl._ _ **"Does her hunger know no bounds?"**_

 _The Nadder nudged me._ _ **"Let's not anger her with hateful thoughts. You know what happened to the last one."**_

 _Indeed I do..._

" _ **Come on, I'll meet you outside."**_ _The Nadder took off, leaving me in my spot._

" _ **One day..."**_ _I muttered to myself before flaring out my wings and taking off. I then met up with the Nadder from before and the other dragons that joined in on the hunt. Many were still injured from the last hunt, but the Queen cares little for our plight._

 _A Zippleback approached me._ _ **"Stryker, the Queen has issued you as the leader of the hunt."**_ _The left head told me.  
_ _ **Most likely since the last one has been... Relieved from duty."**_ _The right head added distastefully. The other dragons grumbled in displeasure at the memory._

 _I only gave a nod in response. As a dragon with a bestowed name, I easily outranked the others. Which translated to me being the Queen's_ "favourite" _, if you could call it that._ _ **"Very well. We move out as soon as everyone is ready."**_ _I declared, acting as tough as I could get. I should be strong in front of all of them..._

 _I have to be..._

 _Once they are ready, they all took off to the sky. The Zippleback from before approached me._ _ **"I don't envy you, Stryker."**_ _The left head spoke.  
_ _ **"But those old lizards have no right to just dump all this responsibility of freeing us from the Queen's Connection."**_ _The right head added._

 _I shook my head._ _ **"No. I'm the only one who can resist her Connection, at least to an extent. I will gladly take this mission. Even if it costs me my life."**_ _I replied with conviction._

 _The Zippleback shook their heads as they muttered something I couldn't quite pick up. Or maybe I didn't bother to listen as I take off to the sky, the Zippleback following suite._

 _A few minutes of flying and we had reached our destination; a human nest. The same one we go to when we find food for the Queen. Going back here was never an easy task for me; too many dragons have died in the hands of these humans._

 _But I shall not allow that to happen, for I am Stryker the Night Fury..._

 **[Wait... No, that's not my name. I am...]**

 _I am back at the nest. Under my command, I had the healthier dragons distract the Vikings and for the less-than-able ones sneak in and steal the food we need to feed the Queen. I destroyed these human contraptions that harmed my fellow dragons by hurling stones at them. But... One did not successfully met the Queen's preferred quota._

 _The Nadder from before had been one of the dragons to directly engage the humans in battle. But he had been injured in the process, his wing being nearly sliced open by the humans. We had to carry him all the way back to the Nest._

 _But the Queen has no use for crippled dragons..._

" _ **M-my Queen! Please reconsider!"**_

" _ **SILENCE! YOU HAVE LOST YOUR PURPOSE! ALL BUT ONE..."**_

" _ **No, please, my Queen!"**_ _The Nadder begged as the Queen's enormous head reached out to nab the helpless dragon by the maw. It would be his end; one quick bite and all that would've been left was a crushed corpse for the monster to swallow._

 _I did_ not _allow that to happen._

 ***PEW!* *BOOM!***

" _ **URRRRAAAAAAAGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!"**_ _The Queen screeched in pain, the whole place shaking as she did so, as my blast slammed into the side of her face. Her head then snapped to my direction, all six eyes glaring at me and anger burning through the Connection._ _ **"You dare attack your Queen, Stryker?!"**_ _She roared._

 _I snarled at her._ _ **"I dare! I will not just stand by and let you devour another dragon in cold blood!"**_

 _The Queen roared in anger, the Connection burning even brighter with the Queen's wrath. I felt the Queen's Connection reach out to_ _my own; the sensation akin to that of asphyxiation. I struggled to breathe as I fought back the Queen's Connection_

 _Then... It stopped. I gasped for air as I felt my hold on my Connection come back. I looked back at the Queen as she gave me another heated glare._

" _ **YOU ARE LUCKY YOU ARE MORE VALUABLE THAN OTHERS, STRYKER."**_ _The Queen growled before turning to look at the hapless Nadder._ _ **"VERY WELL. I WILL BE FORGIVING THIS TIME. SEND THIS USELESS DRAGON OFF TO DIE OUTSIDE THIS NEST. MAKE SURE I DO NOT SEE HIM AGAIN."**_

 _The demand was more than a shock to all the dragons as the Queen was not known to simply spare a dragon from her hunger. Three dragons, all of them who knew the Nadder personally, immediately complied and carried the Nadder outside the Nest, lest the Queen changes her mind._

" _ **AS FOR YOU..."**_ _Once again, I felt the violent grip take hold of my Connection. However, it was less painful._ _ **"STRIKE ME AGAIN AND YOUR LIFE WILL BE QUICKLY EXTINGUISHED QUICKER THAN YOU CAN FLY."**_

 _I gritted my teeth._ _ **"Yes, my Queen."**_

 _One day... One day, I will kill the Queen and free the other dragons. It is my mission, my purpose._

 **[This... No, this isn't me. I am not Stryker. Stop this! Get me out of here!]**

 **-0-**

 _Hiccup's Bedroom, At the Morning_

A gasp was the first thing that registered in Hiccup's mind as his body jerked up from his bed before he coughed. He then clutched his head as it started throbbing with pain. "Gah... What the hell was that? That was too livid to be just a dream." He moaned as he continued to massage his head in hopes of easing the headache.

It all felt too... _Real_. The sensation, the perspective... At that one moment, he truly felt like a dragon... Stryker, to be exact.

"The Connection... Was it the one responsible for this?" Hiccup wondered out loud as the pain in his head had finally stopped.

It would not be accurate to say that he had become Stryker at that one moment, rather it felt like reading a... Mental journal of the Night Fury's life.

Hiccup shook the thoughts off his head. "Maybe I'll bring it up to him later." He told himself as he got up from his bed and grabbed his fur vest. He then picked up Endeavor from his personal weapon rack and strapped it onto his waist. Hiccup was about to go downstairs but stopped to stare at a certain dragon doll that Valka had made for him as a babe. He contemplated whether he should bring it or not.

...

"Nah." Ultimately, Hiccup decided to keep it here and find some other way to make his mother reveal her true identity to her. Not that it was needed, considering his you-know-what, but he'd prefer for Valka to stop with the secrecy. Honestly, that woman truly was Hiccup's mother.

 ***Knock* *Knock* *Knock***

"Hiccup? Are you in there?" A female voice called out from the outside of Hiccup's home.

A voice that Hiccup was quite familiar with. He rushed down the stairs and then quickly opened the door. "Astrid, my dear! Good morning!" He greeted with a wide grin.

Yes, he still uses " _My dear_ " when he addresses girls. Except for Camicazi... He'd rather not do that again.

"Morning, Hiccup." Astrid greeted back with a smile of her own. "Gobber wanted you to come to the arena. Said today's training needed you."

Hiccup noticed that Astrid seemed more relax in talking to him now. That's progress he supposed. "Ah, my thanks for coming to escort me, Astrid. Your efforts are much appreciated." He replied.

"Come on then. The others are already there." Astrid said as she started walking.

Hiccup followed behind her. "Hey, uh, Astrid? About that other night."

Memories of said night started to resurface in Astrid's mind. She struggled to keep a straight face. "Uh, what about it?"

"I was worried for you, you know. You rushed out of the hall so suddenly." Hiccup told her. "Is there something wrong?"

"W-what?!" Astrid sputtered. "No! No, nothing's wrong. It's, uh... Just surprising, is all."

Hiccup frowned. "I've ignored it for quite some time now, thinking that it can be resolved with time, but it seems it was wrong to do so. Please, Astrid, I need to address this problem. It worries me to no end." He gave Astrid a worried look.

Astrid sighed. "Sorry... It's just that... I, uh..." This really difficult for her. She turned her head away. "C-can we talk about this later?" She requested.

"Hmph..." Hiccup supposed this issue could be addressed later for now. Gobber dislikes tardiness, of that he is well aware of. "Very well, Astrid. If that is what you wish, we shall continue this at a later date."

 **-0-**

 _At the Dragon Arena_

"Well!" Gobber's cheery voice was not something Hiccup liked to hear so early in the morning. "You two got here quicker than I expected!"

Hiccup rolled his eyes at the man. "I woke up earlier today." He coolly replied.

"That's a new one! Are sheep flying yet?" Gobber laughed because, _seriously_ , Hiccup waking up early by himself was something that never happens. If it did, no one was able to see it.

Hiccup huffed, as if offended by Gobber's words, before he and Astrid joined the other teens. "Good morning, friends."

"Morning, Hiccup!" Fishlegs happily greeted back.

" _Sup, Hiccup!"_ The twins greeted with grins.

"Morning, cousin." Snotlout let out a bored grumble.

"Anyway!" Gobber's voice silenced all will-be chatters and had all the teens look at him with all their attention. "Today's training is going to be a bit different."

"Different _how_?" Snotlout asked, rather reluctant to discover the answer considering Gobber's training methods.

"You're not gonna fight dragons today." Gobber then pointed his prosthetic hook at Hiccup. "You're going to be fighting him!"

" _What?"_ All were confused at Gobber's words. Hiccup's only reaction was raising an eyebrow.

"Wait, but isn't this place a _dragon_ arena?" Tuffnut asked.

"Yeah. And?"

"So...Shouldn't we be fighting dragons instead of ourselves?" Ruffnut added.

"We Vikings don't _always_ fight dragons, you know." Gobber stated matter-of-factly as he started pacing in front of the trainees. "Sometimes we fight pirates, the occasional Romans,—"

Of which Hiccup is extremely grateful to whatever higher power up in the cosmos had spared him from having such an encounter in this life.

"—and most of the time, other tribes." Gobber then faced them. "In truth, I'd have had Gormless to help you on this training session, but I decided that Hiccup would be better in teaching you lot." He told them.

Hiccup shrugged. "Very well, Gobber." He walked towards Gobber and unsheathed his sword before handing it to Gobber. He then tied the red colored bandana attached to the scabbard of his sword firmly onto his wrist as to secure it properly and prevent it from falling off his hand. "I will say this here and now, I shall not go easy on any of you."

"We'd be insulted if you did." Astrid remarked, readying her axe. The others readied their weapons as well.

Except for Fishlegs who was slowly inching away. "I'm, uh... Just gonna sit back here, if any of you don't mind."

Hiccup chuckled like a lunatic as he pointed his scabbard at his victims... I mean, fellow trainees.

 **-0-**

 _Earlier_

Stryker woke up with a headache.

Not really the first time, but definitely has been awhile since he woke up with one. **"That human..."** He had felt the human's Connection link up with his own and...

Had seen his memories.

" _ **Good morning, Stryker!"**_ Came the overly energetic greeting of Trick and Treat.

Stryker only grumbled. **"What do you want?"** He _really_ did not wanna talk to them so early in the morning.

" **Nothing more than to greet you a good morning, Stryker!"** Trick replied.  
 **"Given to us by Our Leader!"** Treat added with joy that only someone as overzealous as they are could achieve.

" **Yeah, yeah, what a good morning to have given by** _ **Our Leader**_ **."** Stryker grumbled as he got up. He then yawned. **"How about you go do something useful and tell me when the human arrives. I'm sure** _ **Our Leader**_ **will appreciate it greatly."**

 _That_ seemed to seal the deal for the two-headed dragon. _**"That's a great idea! Oh how Our Leader shall be so filled with joy for our diligence!"**_ Laughed the Zippleback as he went to watch the entrance for Hiccup.

" **Ugh... Glad I'm rid of that guy."** Stryker grumbled with a roll of his eyes.

" **You get used to him. Although, that's what Hiccup said. Me and my brother are still getting used to him."** Invy, the eldest of the Changewing siblings, said as she approached Stryker.

Stryker looked at her. **"Oh. Good morning. Invy, right?"** He never really thought about socializing with the two Changewings.

" **Yeah. My brother's named Sibel."** Invy seemed to puff with pride.

" **Invy... Sibel... Invisible..."** Stryker shook his head. **"How creative."** The Night Fury remarked sarcastically.

" **Hey, it may not be the greatest of names, but it's ours nonetheless. Also, don't let that two-headed idiot hear you talk like that."** Invy chuckled. **"Believe me, they can talk for a long while about** _ **'giving respect where it's due'**_ **."**

" **I'll keep that in mind."**

" **Well, come on then."** Invy then went over to a spot where Sibel can be seen eating in front of a pile of fish. **"Hiccup's mother went out and caught us some grub. You better join quickly, or else we're gonna have all this to ourselves."**

" **... This so surreal for me."**

" **In Hiccup's words,** _ **'you get used to it'**_ **."**

 **-0-**

 _Back to the present, At the Dragon Arena_

"I must say that, at the very least, you lasted longer than my expectations."

If Hiccup was asked to describe the sight before him, it would be borderline pitiful. Only Astrid and Fishlegs were the only ones left standing, although it probably isn't right to include the Ingerman because he had stayed out of the fight for the entire time(Hiccup decided that Fishlegs' use was on another field). Astrid, on the other hand, was barely on her knees while using her axe to at least keep kneeling upright.

The others were on the ground with their faces getting to know the ground better.

"Still, your performance today leaves much more to be desired." Hiccup commented as he went over to Astrid and helped her up. "Remember this—fighting dragons is one thing, fighting other people is another thing entirely. The way you fight in either one of those scenarios can and _will_ decide whether you keep your life or not." He lectured them.

"So, uh..." Fishlegs spoke up. "What now?"

Hiccup looked at Fishlegs. "Fishlegs, since you didn't participate in this session, you will give me a detailed report on the progress of others as once they are fully rested, they shall continue to spar with each other. Can I trust you on that, Fishlegs?" He asked the husky teenager.

"Detailed report..." Fishlegs mulled over those two words a bit. "Yeah, I can do that." He nodded.

Hiccup gave him a satisfied smile. "Good. Now, Astrid..." He turned his head back to the Hofferson girl. "We shall continue our conversation later, understand?"

"Y-yeah..." Astrid, still trying to catch her breath from the fight with Hiccup, had completely disregarded the implications of Hiccup's request and just agreed.

"Gobber." Hiccup gave the man a farewell wave before he started to walk out of the arena, his destination set first to his house to deposit his sword then to the Cove.

"That lad has way too many things to do in one day." Gobber remarked, watching Hiccup exit through the gates.

 **-0-**

 _Later, At the Cove_

After Hiccup had deposited his sword safely inside his house, Hiccup went to the Cove to practice with Stryker once again. He had sent out the Changewing siblings to go do... Whatever it is they do whenever Hiccup lets them off. Trick and Treat, along with Kickstarter, was tasked to once again check the shores of Berk for any useful junk.

It was more of getting rid of the overzealous Zippleback than anything, really. Kickstarter insisted he came with, which Hiccup was reluctant to do so at first.

For now, Hiccup was memorizing the _"Cheat sheet"_ he had created for later use. Not that he needed a cheat sheet. He is pretty confident he has an excellent memory, but he preferred to be safe than sorry.

"Let's see... So this one's for opening the fin, this one's for closing, these two are for sideways manoeuvrings, and this one's for landing preparation."

" **When do we get to finally fly for real?"**

"Patience, Toothless. One cannot reach the professional levels from the start of one's journey. That would be too boring." Perhaps Hiccup was being immature for addressing the Night Fury with a name that he _clearly_ does not like, but then again...

 **"I told you to stop calling me that"**

"Why not? It's cute." Why, yes, he's still an HTTYD fan. Why do you ask?

" **I have a name, damn it!"**

Valka watched from the sidelines as the Night Fury whacked her son on the head with his tail fin. "At least they're interacting. That's progress, I guess." The woman shrugged.

Cloudjumper snorted. **"Your youngling, despite understanding dragonese clearly, cannot seem to grasp the importance of a dragon's name."**

Valka couldn't help but giggle. "Can't win 'em all, I suppose.

Hiccup, hearing Cloudjumper's statement, then decided to ask the one question he had wanted to ask ever since he had heard Stryker's name. "By the way, why _do_ you have a name? Trick and Treat did not have one when I asked them. So did the Changewing siblings."

Stryker snorted at the human's lack of knowledge. **"For someone who** _ **befriends**_ **dragons, you're not really that knowledgeable."** The dragon scoffed.

"I had assumed that you are simply referred to by species." Hiccup replied with a shrug.

" **Well, for your information, a bestowal of a name is one of the highest honors a dragon can receive."** Stryker puffed up his chest with pride. **"I, who received my name in such a young age, am well-respected for it."** The Night Fury's face then promptly soured. **"Even if the Tyrant was the one to bestow it upon me."**

Hiccup, ignoring that last part, now understood why the others were so ecstatic the moment he had given them names to call their own. However, he could not help but roll his eyes. _"If you call living a few decades young."_ The boy huffed in his modern English. He had learned that dragons have a much longer lifespan than humans do.

" **What is that?"**

"What is what?"

" **The thing you did earlier."** Stryker replied. **"I heard you clearly, but I can't understand it. It's not the same as how you humans talk."**

"Ah." Hiccup stored the paper which he had used to write down the tail positions in his vest. "Just something I picked up along my life. Nothing to be concerned about." He dismissed the dragon.

Stryker ,seeing that his question will not be answered clearly, merely snorted in annoyance. **"Whatever."** The dragon then turned away to find a good spot to rest.

"Hey, Stryker." Hiccup called out to the Night Fury.

" **What?"** Stryker turned his head and gave the human the dragon equivalent of a quirked eyebrow.

"I, uh... Had sort of a dream last night." Hiccup doesn't know how to properly word it, really.

Stryker snorted. **"Don't bother. I felt your Connection link with mine. You saw all of it, didn't you?"**

"The few major details, but yes. I... Don't know what to say—"

" **Then don't say anything."**

"What?" Hiccup was confused.

" **You've seen my memories; how the Tyrant treated all of us, the kind of life dragons live under her rule, and my upbringing. That doesn't change anything. If anything, it helps you understand how important this is to me."** Stryker declared.

"So you're not upset about me invading your priva—?!"

Stryker's tail swept Hiccup off his feet, causing the teenager to fall face first to the ground. "Mmph!"

" **I was, but now I'm fine."** Hiccup did not need to look at the Night Fury to know that he was wearing a smug grin on his face.

"Fair enough..." Hiccup moaned as he got up.

Valka came over to Hiccup. "Are you alright?" She asked, checking the boy for any injuries.

"I am well. Thank you for your concern." Hiccup replied. "Ms. Valka, I... Nevermind." He looked away, uncertainty painted on his face.

Valka used a hand to turn his head for Hiccup to face her. "What is it, Hiccup? Do you have something in your mind?"

Hiccup quickly glanced at Cloudjumper who was watching him intently before focusing back to Valka. "It is just... I feel disturbed." He replied. _'Just gotta keep acting, Hiccup. You've done this before, shouldn't be hard at all.'_

Valka looked at him with concern. "Disturbed? Of what?"

"Uh... Of you, to be exact." Hiccup answered. "There is just something about you that is... Vexing me."

Valka's frown grew more worried. "Am I... Doing something wrong?"

"W-what?!" Hiccup gave her a shocked look. "No! No... It's just that... You make me feel... _Weird_ is all." He supposed that's a right word to use.

"Weird how?" Valka asked.

"As in... Your presence just makes me feel _safe_. You, a woman that I first met two years ago and only spent few times together, make me feel this way. This...feeling of safety and maternal affection." Perhaps he was being melodramatic, and maybe the _'maternal affection'_ part was stretching it, but he thought this might work out.

Valka stepped back a bit. "I... I didn't know I was making you feel that way." She just couldn't help it, being so close to her son. She was... _Is_ a mother. A mother to a son who she never got to see grow up to the person he is today.

"I suppose you didn't." Hiccup sighed. "It just feels strange to me; an unknown sensation I have yet to feel."

' _In a long time anyway.'_ That part was left unsaid.

Hiccup looked away. "Do forgive me, Ms. Valka. I am usually more composed than this."

"There's nothing to forgive, Hiccup." Valka gave Hiccup a comforting hand on the shoulder and a kind smile. "If anything, I should be the one apologizing. It's just that you remind me of someone; someone... Important to me"

' _Truly, you make this harder than I thought.'_ Hiccup would've bit his lip if he was less of a person he is now. "Ha... Don't we all?" He chuckled as the mood started to get lighter. He then remembered the original goal of this entire conversation; getting Valka to reveal her true identity to him. "Uh... Ms. Valka, if you don't mind me asking..."

"Hm?"

Hiccup put on a serious face. "Do you perhaps know where I could find my—?!"

" **Intruder!"**

 ***PEW!* *BAM!***

A scream of shock was heard, followed by a ***THUD!***

Hiccup whipped his head towards the source of the noise. His eyes then widened as he saw who the _"intruder"_ was. "This... Is unprecedented."

* * *

 **A/n: Whoo! Not dead yet, ladies and gentlemen! Finally finished this one after long months of procrastination. I truly have no excuse for this. Anyway, what do you guys think? Think it's a bit half-assed? Yeah, I think it is. I had a bit of trouble with this one(then again, I have been having them more frequently now) but I do hope you enjoy this! Do please tell me if you guys find anything wrong; I'm still improving! Sorry if it's a bit short though. Anyway, see you in the next update! Your feedback means love to me!**


	14. There is no Dragon Flight Club

" _Do you perhaps know where I could find my—?!"_

" _ **Intruder!"**_

 _A scream of shock was heard, followed by a_ _ ***THUD!***_

" _This... Is unprecedented."_

 **-0-**

 _At an earlier time_

"Hah!"

Astrid parried Ruffnut's spear with her axe. Only, it wasn't really her axe. It was a wooden axe that Gobber had provided for sparring sessions. The others also held wooden versions of their preferred weapon of choice. Astrid then pushed the other girl back before swinging her weapon sideways at her opponent.

"So...!" Ruffnut decided that now was a good time to strike a conversation as she back-stepped to avoid the swing. "How's it going with you and Hiccup?"

"What are you going on about now, Ruffnut?" Astrid groaned. A frequent question that the female Thorston twin liked to bring up whenever she has the chance.

It annoys her more than anything, really **(Yes, keep telling yourself that)**.

"I mean... Pretty sure he's gonna be bringing up that other night where you suddenly ran off." It was pretty hard to miss a red-as-tomato faced Astrid bursting out of the Hall and running to who-knows-where.

"Uh..." That got Astrid to stop attacking Ruffnut. Normally, in a sparring session, any openings in one's defenses would be quickly exploited by the enemies.

Eh, pretty sure there's a spar that had the combatants chatting instead of fighting so this should be fine.

"Ohhhhh." Ruffnut gave the other girl a teasing smirk. "He did, didn't he?! _My dear_ Astrid?"

"Shut it. He uses that on you too, you know." Astrid remarked.

Like I said, he does that to most girls he meets. Although he did learn a valuable lesson when he was at Camicazi's ship. What's that? Oh, just to keep his mouth shut and use his words correctly when his life depends on it. Like, really, they can and _will_ throw him overboard if he wouldn't. Camicazi included too, heck, she might be the one to kick him off the ship personally.

Ruffnut rolled her eyes. "That was just once, you know. Besides, he uses it more frequently with you. So _obviously_ he's got a thing for you." Or at least, she thinks Hiccup does. Because, _really_ , the guy's added _'My dear'_ every time he talks to Astrid so that's _clearly_ a sign. "So when are you gonna tell him? Can't really say you got time on your side with that one."

In all honesty, Astrid doesn't know. It's easier said than done for her. "I'm... Still working out that one."

Ruffnut huffed. "Well, work faster then."

"Why are you being so persistent about this?" Astrid really wants to know that.

"Dunno'. This whole _'you like him, but you're not confident enough to confess so it's taking a really long time for any real relation between the two of you to grow'_ just annoys me, I guess." Ruffnut answered with a shrug.

A hammer, not a wooden one mind you, flew past between the two girls. "Oy! I don't see any fighting with you two! And I don't remember saying you could stop!" Gobber boomed in irritation.

The two girls immediately went back to sparring before anymore objects were thrown at them and it decided to hit one of them.

On another corner, Snotlout was going against Tuffnut(A flirtation attempt was made by Snotlout during the part of _'who gets to fight who'_ before Astrid, the receiver of the flirt, punched Snotlout's face) while Fishlegs stood away from them as he diligently wrote down his findings regarding the spar in his personal notebook(Hiccup himself recommended that he'd keep one).

Snotlout smashed the wooden mace on Tuffnut's helmeted head causing the boy to yelp in pain and back off while clutching his aching head. "Come on, _Chickenlegs_! Get over here and fight! We won't be able to beat Hiccup like this!" The Jorgenson boy yelled at Fishlegs.

"First off, I don't want to be on the receiving end of that punch you took earlier." Fishlegs replied, the image of Hiccup's fist painfully colliding with Snotlout's face giving him a small dose of amusement(Not that he'd ever admit that out loud). "And secondly, Hiccup says I'm supposed to give him a detailed report on this sparring session so I can't afford to join in on the fight." He added as he wrote down once more on his notebook as his eyes gave the other two combatants a quick but analytic glance.

Never forget, dear readers, that Fishlegs is by no means physically weak. After all, he's been shown to accomplish physically demanding tasks sometimes during the show. He just prefers doing less violent works.

Snotlout huffed. "Ah, whatever. More glory for m—?!"

"Sneak attack!" Tuffnut roared as he tackled Snotlout to the ground and head-locked him.

"Gah! Get _off_ me!" Snotlout demanded but Tuffnut only tightened his grip.

It went on like that for a while until Gobber decided that session's over.

"Alright, recruits! Time's up!" Gobber shouted. "You get the entire day to yourselves! Off with you!"

Everyone let out a sigh of relief before they exited the Arena through the gates.

 **-0-**

 _Later, At the Forest of Berk_

"This... Could've been thought out better." Fishlegs groaned to himself as he aimlessly wandered around the forest. "Why did I decided to go to the forest without a map? Stupid Fishlegs..." Hiccup could not be found anywhere in the village so the Ingerman boy decided to search for him in the place where his friend would often go to; the Forest of Berk.

He had thought that by following the path Hiccup had used, minus the added circles and turn-backs in the attempts to lose them, to find the Night Fury, he would've encountered the Haddock boy sooner or later. In hindsight, it was a flawed plan to begin with. He will never know why didn't he just decide to wait for Hiccup at the village instead of venturing out in the forest _without a map_.

"Where does Hiccup even go to when he comes here?" Fishlegs wondered out loud, nervously walking at a straight line in hopes of catching sight of his friend along the way.

In all honesty, no one really knew just _why_ Hiccup comes to the forest often. He just goes and disappears for a while. When asked, all Hiccup would ever say was that he was either training(He made certain he looked the part) or just simply hanging around the forest to _"admire the scenery"_ as he puts it. No one really questioned him further than that as everyone knew that the boy would simply dance around the subject.

Fishlegs shuddered as numerous life-threatening scenarios ran through his head; dragons, boars, abandoned and forgotten traps of Vikings, or even the simple possibility of getting lost were all too real to ignore. He then shook his head and attempted to renew his determination. "No... Be strong, Fishlegs. Like Hiccup would be. Just think... Ugh, nothing's really coming to mind at the moment."

... Several meters of walking later **(What? That's really all that happened there)**.

"Okay, Fishlegs..." Fishlegs tiredly wheezed, feeling the sweat run down from his forehead. "At least... I came across... This place" He told himself in-between breaths.

Said place just so happened to be the Cove where Hiccup is in at the moment, but Fishlegs doesn't know that.

Fishlegs then heard faint sounds come from the other side of his position. He could not quite make it out, but he did hear something akin to a person so...

"Let's just hope I can squeeze myself in..." Fishlegs started to enter the narrow, with his circumstances at least, opening. The husky teenage boy groaned as he sucked in his gut in hopes of getting through quicker. He was _not_ built for this kind of opening.

Once he _finally_ managed to get through, Fishlegs immediately exhaled all of the air he had been holding. Fishlegs was then greeted by a majestic sight; a beautiful and all-natural Cove. "Whoa..." He murmured in awe. Everything around this place was so... _Natural_. Was this perhaps the place Hiccup goes to every time he goes into the forest?

If so, then Fishlegs should've followed Hiccup a long time ago.

Suddenly, a roar caught Fishlegs' attention. His eyes darted down to see a—

' _Night Fury!'_ Was his last thought before an explosion knocked him off his footing and made him fall to the ground with a scream. Face first.

The last thing he heard before consciousness left him was a familiar voice. "This... Is unprecedented."

 **-0-**

 _With Hiccup_

"Stop! Don't fire!" Hiccup shouted at the Night Fury as he raced towards the fallen, and most likely unconscious, Ingerman boy. "Ah, geez! What the hell is Fishlegs doing here?" This was one of the times Hiccup completely disregarded his _"smooth talk"_ as the others put it.

He then crouched down to check if Fishlegs was alright. "Gah... He's out-cold." He stood back up and glared at Stryker. "Did you really have to do that? You could've killed him."

" **So that fancy talk was just an act, huh?"** Stryker gave him a smug smirk, now figuring out Hiccup's fib.

"That's not important right now, Stryker." Hiccup growled at the Night Fury(Although it sort of is). "What _is_ important is that I find a way to make sure Fishlegs doesn't scream bloody murder all the way to the village when he wakes up which would then cause a search party to come knocking on our door and then my plans will be ruined!" He started to panic as numerous disastrous possibilities and scenarios started to play in his head, each one ending up with him being branded a traitor, banished, and his dragon friends being hunted down by bloodthirsty Vikings with his father taking the lead.

Courtesy of reading numerous HTTYD fanfics.

He then felt a hand on his shoulder. "Hiccup, please calm down." He heard Valka ask.

Hiccup relaxed at the touch, the panic starting to leave him. "Yeah... Yeah, that's right. I should be calm about this. Can't think of a plan while thinking of the _'what ifs'_." He told himself.

" **Why should we even bother? He's out-cold, isn't he? Let's just leave him back to the humans and hope he thinks this is just a dream."** Stryker suggested.

Hiccup bit his thumb. It was a good plan, but he could not guarantee that Fishlegs would not retain at least _some_ memory of what had transpired here. Hiccup racked his brain for a solution to this dilemma that would benefit everyone involved and would not come back to bite him in the ass later on. Perhaps...

He snapped his fingers as a plan finally came together. "Yes... This should work nicely." He grinned as he looked down on the prone form of Fishlegs.

"Hiccup? Do you know this boy?" Valka asked, rather curious about the identity of the husky boy.

Hiccup nodded. "Yes. His name is Fishlegs Ingerman, a friend of mine." He replied.

"Oh..." Valka was relieved that Hiccup at least had a human friend.

"Okay, here's the plan." Hiccup turned to face the others. "I'll call the others here, and when he wakes up, I'll have some explaining to do."

"For what purpose would that be?" Valka asked.

"I plan to recruit him to my side. I'll need to change my plans a bit, but it shouldn't be anything too major."

" **What's wrong with my idea?"** Stryker retorted, feeling slightly offended that his idea was brushed off so easily.

"Nothing that's too threatening to us." Hiccup replied as his left eye glowed its signature color, signifying that his Connection is active. "I just can't rely on chance that Fishlegs will just forget what he has seen, no matter how brief it was."

 _[Invy, Sibel, Kickstarter, Trick and Treat. Come back here now, your presence is required.]_ The command was then sent out to the three dragons.

"Now we wait." Hiccup declared.

"So..." Valka decided to ask Hiccup about the way he speaks. "You don't really talk like that?" It wasn't really anything significant, but it'd be good to know nonetheless.

Hiccup sighed, a bit upset that his act had been completely ruined. "Nah, not really. It's actually just something I picked and used since I..." Hiccup paused to think about it. "Since I went into that sea voyage with Camicazi." That should be plausible enough.

The short pause had not been gone unnoticed by Cloudjumper.

"Camicazi?" Valka then recalled a girl that Hiccup had conversed with a few years back. "Could she be that girl you talked to and stole your sword a few years back?"

Hiccup coughed nervously. "Y-you saw that?" He did not know that Valka had been following him for that long. "I, uh... Yes." He admitted.

"Do you... Fancy her?" Valka felt herself smirk.

Hiccup looked away in an attempt to make sure his mother does not see the blush in his cheeks, although his stuttering did not help. "W-what?! No! I mean..." He can't help it; talks like these get to him faster than Dagur could swing an axe at him. "She's kinda cute, I guess, and I'd be lying if I said that the thought never came to mind." He admitted.

 **-0-**

 _Somewhere_

Camicazi, burglar extraordinaire and heir to the Bog Burglar tribe, sneezed.

Ragna approached her from behind. "Something wrong, Captain?"

Camicazi sniffled and rubbed her nose. "Nothing, Ragna. Just had a strange urge to strangle a Haddock right now." Camicazi paused in thought. "Actually, remind me to do that when we visit Berk next time."

 **-0-**

 _Back with Hiccup_

Hiccup felt a shiver run down his spine for some reason. "Ugh... Suddenly, I feel like someone wants to strangle me."

Valka simply giggled. "Oh now you're just being ridiculous, Hiccup." Really, that was just far-fetched.

Hiccup then heard the flapping of wings making him look up to see the two Changewings, Monstrous Nightmare, and the Zippleback descending.

" **Our leader!"** Trick happily greeted, still as overzealous as ever.  
 **"We have arrived as you have ordered!"** Treat added.

Hiccup rolled his eyes. "Yes, yes, good Zippleback. I commend you for your loyalty." That was sarcasm if you hadn't figured it out already.

Of course, it seemed to fly over the two-headed dragon's heads. _**"Your kind words are wasted on us!"**_

" **Is there a reason that you called us here, Hiccup?"** Kickstarter inquired. Truthfully, he was glad when he heard the human's command through the Connection. He was getting tired of hearing the Zippleback's constant praising about their leader. Invy and Sibel weren't kidding when they said the two-headed dragon can talk for a long while.

"Yes. If you are to look here,—" Hiccup gestured to the unconscious Fishlegs. "—we have an unexpected guest."

" **Why not just get rid of it?"** Invy asked.

" **That's what I said!"** Stryker piped up.

Hiccup glared at them causing the dragons receiving it to wilt. "He is my friend, Invy. You would do well to remember that." He growled, his left eye flaring up with visible anger.

Invy gulped. **"Y-yes, Hiccup."**

Hiccup's look softened. "Sorry about that. I get defensive when it comes to my friends."

" **So... What do we do with the human then?"** Sibel asked.

Hiccup looked at him. "Well, all you really have to do is just stand there and not look threatening. I'll handle the rest from there."

" _ **As you command, Our Leader!"**_ Trick and Treat happily complied.

"Ugh..." Came the groggy moan of the awakening Fishlegs.

"Alright, Hiccup. You can do this. Deep breaths and clear your mind of any worries." Hiccup told himself before doing just what he told himself. He then cleared his throat and looked down on Fishlegs who started to sit up straight.

"Oh my head..." Fishlegs groaned, rubbing his head. "Man, what a crazy dream I had... Going into the forest without a map, finding this weirdly beautiful place, and suddenly encountering a Night Fury..."

"I am afraid _that_ was more than just a dream, Fishlegs." Hiccup said to the groggy Fishlegs.

"What...? Hiccup? Is that you?" Fishlegs inquired as his eyes slowly opened.

"Yes, Fishlegs. You hit your head quite hard back there; I am actually surprised you got up that fast."

Fishlegs moaned and rubbed his eyes. "Okay... So, mind explaining why was I lying on the ground?"

"I do not, but first, you are to obey once certain condition, Fishlegs." Hiccup replied.

"What's that?"

"Do _not_ panic. You shall not scream uncontrollably, hyperventilate, or even faint for that matter."

"The reason being...?" Fishlegs was confused as to why Hiccup would demand such a thing from him.

"Here, let me help you up." Hiccup extended his hand towards Fishlegs who then grabbed it and hoisted himself up. "Now, look around you and tell me what you see."

Fishlegs frowned. "You didn't answer my..." He trailed off the moment he _did_ look around. He could see two Changewings, a Zippleback, an unknown large dragon, a woman, and...

"Night Fu—!" A hand immediately clasped on the Ingerman's mouth, preventing anything else from escaping it.

" **Heh. I liked how he noticed you the last, Stryker."** Invy commented. Stryker only huffed, though whether it was of irritation or pride Hiccup did not bother to confirm.

"As I have previously stated before, Fishlegs, do _not_ panic." Hiccup repeated. "Now, I shall remove my hand, and you will calm down and ask me questions. _Calmly_."

Fishlegs slowly nodded. Hiccup then took his hand off of Fishlegs' mouth. The Ingerman boy then inhaled before exhaling. "Okay... So... The Night Fury?" He asked, giving said dragon a nervous glance.

Stryker held back the urge to chuckle at the human's expression.

"Ah, him? Your worries are understandable, but ultimately you have nothing to fear. Here, I'll introduce you to the others." Hiccup grabbed Fishlegs by the hand and started dragging him towards the other dragons.

"C-can't you j-just let me stay where I am? I, uh, kinda liked to be a few feet away from them." Fishlegs whimpered.

"Nonsense. First impressions are always important." Hiccup retorted. He then used his free hand to point at the Zippleback. "This is Trick and Treat, respectively. They are the first dragon to join my side and the most loyal out of all of them." Hiccup heard five snorts but chose to ignore it.

" **Greetings, human!"** Trick greeted.  
 **"We are honored to meet someone who our leader holds in such high regards!"** Treat added.

Hiccup gave them an annoyed look. "Perhaps silencing yourselves for the moment may be more beneficial for all of us." He growled at the two-headed dragon before pointing at the female Changewing. "This is Invy; she's the oldest out of the two Changewings. They are siblings."

" **Hey."**

He then pointed towards the other Changewing. "This one is Sibel; the younger Changewing."

" **Hello there."**

"Uhm... How do I tell which one is which?" Fishlegs asked.

"If one looked at you with a slightly sheepish expression, that's Sibel. If one looked at you with an expression that seems like it's sizing you up, then that's Invy. An easily spotted distinction." Hiccup answered.

"Uh-huh, sure..." Fishlegs half-heartedly rolled his eyes.

"The Monstrous Nightmare is named Kickstarter; don't be intimidated with his looks. I assure you, he's friendly." Hiccup pointed at the mentioned dragon.

"How... Friendly?"

"Quite friendly." Hiccup then gestured to both Valka and Cloudjumper. "The woman is Ms. Valka and that is her dragon friend named Cloudjumper; he is a species of dragon called _'Stormcutter_ '."

Valka smiled at the boy. "Hello, Fishlegs." She greeted, the kindness of both her smile and voice was enough to remove some of the tension from within Fishlegs' heart. Cloudjumper only grunted and waved.

"And last, but most certainly not the least,—"

" **I hope not!"** Stryker huffed.

"—we have Toothless the Night Fury." Hiccup gestured to the Night Fury.

" **I told you to stop calling me that!"** Stryker roared with anger and irritation.

Ignoring his outburst, Hiccup continued. "He has proven to be a bit of a difficult individual to handle, but I try to be the initiative in the relationship."

... **So is that supposed to mean anything else? Tell me if it does.**

"Why Toothless?" Fishlegas inquired, rather confused as to why Hiccup would choose such a name for the infamous Night Fury.

"In reality, his given name is Stryker. I simply chose to address him as Toothless for the simple reason that I think it is cute."

' _Wow, I said all of that with a straight face. Good job, Henry.'_

" **AAAAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHH!"** Everyone promptly ignored Stryker's roar of frustration.

"That's..." Fishlegs has no words. As if the day couldn't get any weirder enough, Hiccup had casually stated that he named the deadly Night Fury(the unholy offspring of lightning and death itself for gods' sake!) something so... Pet-ish.

"Now that you have been introduced to everyone," Hiccup was quick to change the subject. "It is time that I address the reason for all of this and what will happen to you now that you know all of this." His face turned something a bit more serious, something Fishlegs seldom sees on the Haddock's face.

And so, Hiccup told Fishlegs everything(although, he left out anything that involved the Connection and had replaced them with a modified version); how he started his plan back when he was ten years old and discovered the reason as to why dragons had been raiding Berk for food, his meeting with Valka at twelve, and how he now started to put his plan into action by recruiting more dragons into his cause such was why the Night Fury was here.

Fishlegs mulled over this knowledge. It all seemed so... Unbelievable. It went against practically _everything_ that Vikings knew about dragons, and by extension, everything _he_ knew. And yet... The way how Hiccup explained all of them. They all just made too much sense to simply dismiss. Even if for some reason that Hiccup's explanation didn't get to him, all the evidence was right in front of him.

Hiccup waited for Fishlegs' reply. However, he too was having his own inner struggle. Despite his confidence in his own plan, he could not fully eliminate the possibility of Fishlegs not believing all of this. Even then, Fishlegs believing does not automatically mean that everything will be fine. There is still the possibility that he would see Hiccup as a traitor which will force him to take more... Drastic measures.

"I..." Fishlegs started. He's not that dense. He knew that Hiccup expects an answer from him; an answer that his future may very well depend on it. "What... What happens to me now?"

Hiccup let out a relieved mental sigh. Good. That's a question he can easily answer and turn Fishlegs to his side. "Now that you know this little secret of mine, you have two choices. One, you can go back and forget everything you saw here, basically. The second one would be to join me."

"Join you?"

Hiccup nodded. "Yes. In that option, your life becomes a bit more complicated than it is now. First off, you will no longer take lectures from Gobber, but instead will be learning about dragons from me. Second, your life as a dragon-fighting Viking will be replaced with something more... Dragon-friendly. The rest of the details shall be worked out as time goes on." He explained.

"So... Either I just go back my life and _try_ to pretend nothing ever happened here, or I join your side and practically throw away every Viking belief I have ever learned in my life." Fishlegs stated.

"Not every belief, obviously. Just the ones that involved harming dragons in purely lethal ways." Hiccup shrugged.

Fishlegs groaned and clasped his hand over his face. "I wish I never came here in the first place..."

"But you are here now, Fishlegs. The only thing you can do is decide." Hiccup said. "In truth, I wished to keep you and the others as away from my business as far as possible in hopes that you will not get caught up in all of this. But it appears neither of us is getting what we want today."

Fishlegs thought about it. He thought _real_ hard. He was not one to keep secrets easily, but either option just involved him _keeping_ a secret. He will admit that the second choice was... Tempting. For someone like Fishlegs who prefers to learn, it was practically like offering him a goldmine for free. Hiccup had been friends with one ever since he was ten years old, so that means he has knowledge about dragons. Knowledge that perhaps not even Bork the Bold, or the Book of Dragons for that matter, was even aware of. Besides, not like Dragon Training was doing him any good anyway. Compared to the others, he was practically the _least_ person to pass.

But then if they were found out, both he and Hiccup would be branded as traitors and who knows what else will happen from there?

But if no one did... Then the knowledge he will learn from Hiccup would be so grand! Besides, this was Hiccup; his friend. Surely he can put his trust on a friend, right?

Fishlegs, with his mind made up, finally answered. "I'll join you."

Hiccup gave him an expression of surprise, but he was internally relieved that Fishlegs chose that option. "Truly? I mean, that is wonderful and all but... You are certain that you wish to choose this route? Are you willing to brave the challenges that will most certainly come your way? The risks that this comes with?" He is being overly dramatic again, isn't he?

"I, uh..." Okay, maybe Fishlegs didn't really thought this one through well enough. He then shook his head. "Yes! I'm... I'm willing to face all of those." He wouldn't let negative thoughts deter his decision.

Hiccup grinned and clapped his hands. "Splendid! Now, how about I show you how things work around he—?"

" **Hey, youngling."**

Hiccup turned his head towards Cloudjumper. "Yes? What is it? I have business that needs tending to."

" **He can wait. Valka will fill him in."** Cloudjumper stated, almost impatiently. **"You and I need to have a little talk."**

Hiccup slightly panicked on the inside. "Very well..." He faced Fishlegs. "My apologies, Fishlegs, but I shall have to leave you with Ms. Valka. My attention appears to be required somewhere else." He said to his friend before he went over towards Cloudjumper. "Now... What is it that you—"

" **Stop talking like that. You've already shown that you don't really talk like that."** Cloudjumper growled, narrowing his eyes down at Hiccup.

Hiccup managed to keep a straight face, despite internally panicking. "Fine. What do you want?"

" **Stop lying."**

Hiccup frowned. "What?"

" **You heard me. All these... Lies and you just keep adding more. I don't like how you just tangle everyone you meet with that web of lies you made."** Cloudjumper told him, looking more and more imposing to Hiccup with every word.

"What do you mean? I've been truthful to you guys since I met you." Hiccup replied, trying to calm himself as to not slip up.

" **No, you haven't."** Cloudjumper accused. **"You called me out four years ago, asking if you remember me. The Zippleback, they called Valka your mother. That meant you remembered me, and you know Valka is your mother."**

It was Hiccup's turn to narrow his eyes at the Stormcutter. "You're jumping to conclusions here. I only speculated that Ms. Valka may have something to do with my mother. The rest was that overzealous Zippleback's own mind coming up with their conclusion. In truth, _you_ were the one I remembered the most." He pointed an accusing finger at Cloudjumper. "After all, dad can't keep quiet about the _'four-winged devil'_ that took my mother away. Not from me, at least."

Cloudjumper actually blinked in surprise and backed up.

"I didn't really think of it much, because even if I helped my father in finding you, I wouldn't know where to start. When I met Ms. Valka four years ago, and by extension, you, then suddenly I found myself questioning whether or not my mother is as dead as everyone told me." It was Hiccup's turn to glare at Cloudjumper. "Do you have any idea what it felt like? That sliver of hope that I felt when I met you and Ms. Valka? It made me open to the possibility that my mother may have been alive out there, somewhere inside or outside this entire Archipelago, had made me ecstatic and the answers may have lied within the two of you. It's... filled me with joy and stress at the same time."

He made sure to look like a mentally tired person for added effect.

Cloudjumper suddenly felt a pit in his stomach. **"L-look, I... I may have been a bit too hasty with my judgement. I didn't really mean to be so harsh. I just don't want Valka's emotions to be toyed with. She's been a under a bit of stress for a while now."**

Hiccup's expression softened. "Then... Let's address the other subject that arose from this conversation." He needs to change the subject as subtle as he can do right now. He took a deep breath. "So... MS. VALKA IS MY MOTHER?!"

Heads started to turn towards Hiccup and Cloudjumper. The Stormcutter could only say one thing.

" **Oh Mother of Dragons damn it."**

* * *

 **A/n: Another update for you all! I'll admit I don't know what to feel about this one. On one hand, I feel accomplished that I finally got to the part where this issue is addressed. On the other hand, I feel like I may be developing things too quickly. Anyway, tell me what you guys think about how things are going in the story. See you in the next update!**

 **Also, *drinks a cup of water before doing a spit-take* TEN THOUSAND PLUS VIEWS?! I LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH(NO HOMO)!**


	15. Valka unma-- No, it's actually quite sad

In hindsight, perhaps Hiccup could've done this better. You know, this whole situation that he finds both Valka and himself in. Then again, almost everything always sounds better in hindsight.

"So, uhm... I suppose you want an explanation?" Valka offered, uncertainty just dripping from her voice as she sat with her legs crossed. The dragons had decided to simply watch them and not interfere.

The atmosphere around them feels really... Weird now for some reason. As if nature itself _felt_ that this was a moment that required no interference; no soft chirping of birds, no grass rustling, not even the splashing of fish in the water can be heard.

' _Not really.'_ Hiccup thought to himself as he sat, cross-legged as well, in front of Valka. Fishlegs was beside him, making sure to stay quiet and out of the conversation as much as he can. "Please do." He replied to the woman, making sure his voice was neutral.

This was not how he planned Valka's big reveal. This is _not_ right. He felt his control over the situation start to slip away from him, a feeling that brought fear into his mind.

"It, uh..." Valka hesitated. "Will this... Change anything between us, Hiccup?" She really _has_ to know the answer to that question.

No, perhaps he could still make this work. His plans could still work for this; he just needs to modify them.

Hiccup frowned. He'd like to answer _'No'_ but that would be too forgiving of him. He knew that Hiccup, of this time period, would be a lonely person desperate for a companion(more would be even more welcome, of course) that would, at the very least, tolerate his presence. To say that he would be infuriated after putting his trust and opening himself up to a stranger who then reveals herself to be his long lost(and long considered deceased) mother would be the understatement of the year, NO, the entire damn generation! "We shall see." He answered. Vague, but it's enough to get the point across.

But then again, he wasn't _that_ Hiccup. He was Henry, a reincarnated person who _changed_ how Hiccup's life is supposed to be. Should he truly follow how Hiccup would react to this situation? This is becoming complicated...

"Right..." In all honesty, Valka should've expected. Heck, she expected worse. "It all started fourteen years ago... When you were still a babe." She recounted the events, ignoring the pit in her stomach that always forms whenever she does so.

"I have all the information I need on that story. Or at least, information from my father." Hiccup stated. "You had rushed to our house to protect me from whatever danger the dragon, now your most trusted friend, could pose to me. You were then taken by it— er, him, never to be seen again and presumed killed by the dragon, as far as Viking belief goes."

Cloudjumper snorted, but a quick look from Valka made him shut up.

"Yes, well..." Valka pondered on how she could explain this. "Cloudjumper never meant to harm me. He just thought that I belong with them; in the Sanctuary with the Alpha." She defended.

Hiccup decided to narrow his eyes at Valka. Coupled with his frown, it made a pretty shivering sight to the woman before him. "So then... What kept you from coming back?" Fourteen years of Hiccup's life, and no Valka to show up for his comfort(not that Henry was expecting for Valka to show up so early as she did in this life).

Heck, in the actual story, it was _twenty_ years.

Valka pondered for an answer, the momentary silence enough for Hiccup to plan his next move.

" _What_ kept you?" His tone was icy; subtle, but enough to deliver a message that it was not to be ignored. Valka did not like it on her son's voice. She may have not been around him for long, but she was certain she had a pretty good grasp on Hiccup's personality; always cheery and, despite his formal way of talking, held an air of liberation and friendliness. The way how he sounds right now just doesn't sit well with her. It was... Unusual.

"I..." Valka has the answer(answers, actually), but she doesn't know how she should present them. "I was helping and freeing dragons. From a madman named Drago Bludvist who wanted to capture and control all the dragons he could get his hands on." It may have been a trick of the eye, but she thought she saw Hiccup shudder from the mention of said madman's name.

In fact, Hiccup did. But he was quick to regain composure. "I am sensing that there is another reason you have." He remarked.

Valka could only nod. Was her son really this intuitive? She should ask her son about that later. "Yes, I... I made a promise to... Stay away from Berk, thinking that you and your father would be better off without me." _That_ was the one.

Hiccup quirked an eyebrow. "I shall assume that you have broken that promise, seeing as you are here in front of me."

"Yes." Valka sighed.

Hiccup closed his eyes in thought. No, not for effect, for real this time. It appears he has found himself in one of _those_ moments "Congratulations, Ms. Valka." His tone held neither sarcasm, nor joy. "You are the first person that I have encountered in my life that has ever caught me off-guard, no, more than that, dumbfounded, speechless, _lost_ ; a feat that I once thought impossible."

Valka flinched. "I... I know it's hard to believe, but—"

"No." Hiccup held out a hand to cease the woman's statement. "I... I believe you."

"Y-you do?" Valka asked, rather surprised at the answer.

"You do?" Fishlegs couldn't help but blurt out.

Ignoring the Ingerman boy, Hiccup snorted and crossed his arms. "Your friend, Cloudjumper, is all the evidence I need." He gestured at said dragon. "He has revealed to me that you are my mother. I doubt I can mistake him accusing me _magically_ knowing you are my mother."

"Yes, well, I suppose there's that." A quick glare from Valka practically stiffened the Stormcutter dragon.

"Which brings us to my decision." Hiccup stood up. "While this revelation is... Enlightening to say the least, there is only one logical course of action." He's really gonna hate himself for this one. "I am to continue on with my life." It was blunter than he would've liked it to be, but that pretty much sums it up.

Valka blinked in confusion. "Sorry?"

"Though this shall not change the way how we treat each other now, know this..." Hiccup narrowed his eyes at Valka once more. "I have lived fourteen years of my life without a mother, I _learned_ to live without a mother and I have accepted the fact that I do not know my mother. This..." An exasperated gesture towards himself and Valka. "Changes nothing." It took an excruciating amount of mental effort to make sure his voice doesn't crack.

"I..." Valka felt herself break a little, but she knew she had no right to argue with Hiccup's decision. To Hiccup, she was essentially a stranger; a stranger proclaiming to be the mother that Hiccup thought he will live his life without. "I understand..."

Hiccup resisted the urge to flinch at just how _miserable_ Valka looks right now. He looked away to the side and bit his lip. "But..." He faced her once more and stretched out a hand for Valka to take. The woman grabbed his hand before Hiccup pulled her up and gave her a hug. Valka froze from the contact. "I am glad that I finally get to meet you... Mom." There. At least he could reason to himself that he didn't leave her in such a depressing state.

And~... There goes the metaphorical dam.

Valka felt tears roll down her face, but she neither cared nor noticed for that matter. She immediately enveloped Hiccup with her own arms. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." She repeated the words as if it were the last words she can say to him.

Hiccup could do nothing but stay still. However, as much as he'd rather leave Valka as she is until she calms down, he has to make sure a few things were in order. Such as his plans for his father's nearing arrival, among other things. "I... I am afraid we have spent too much time here." He declared, pushing away from the hug and turning his head to Fishlegs. "Come, Fishlegs. We are to return to the village." He started to walk away.

"W-wait!" Valka called out to him. Hiccup turned to face her. "Please... Is there something, _anything_ , I can do? To make it up to you?" She pleaded.

Hiccup sighed. "I am afraid that whatever I _could_ ask of you may seem selfish of me and..." His eyes looked away, unable to muster the strength to meet Valka's own. "And the weight of all of this cannot be matched by any request I could make."

Translation: He can't think of anything.

Valka _whimpered_. Maybe Hiccup misheard it, but it was close. "I... I..." She couldn't say anything. What _can_ she say? That she was sorry? She understood? No. None were enough.

She then felt a hand gently wipe the tears off her face. "Come now, Ms. Valka." Hiccup said as he gave her a kind smile. "It is such a waste for a lovely lady such as yourself to wear such a saddening face. Turn that frown upside down now, I shall not have you crying for my sake."

Valka slowly started to comply as she laughed a bit at Hiccup's way of speaking. "You really do have a way with words, Hiccup." She remarked as the tears slowly stopped pouring. Really, she can't seem to decide whether it was hilarious or adorable to hear her son speak in such a way.

Hiccup smirked. "As I have told you, Ms. Valka, I aim to please." He replied as he then walked off to join Fishlegs. Without turning back, he waved a hand goodbye to Valka. "I shall meet you again soon, Ms. Valka. I can assure you that."

"I'll... I'll see you around, I guess." Was Valka's reply.

Hiccup and Fishlegs then walked out of the Cove, leaving the dragons and Valka in there. As the two boys disappear through the exit of the Cove, Valka slumped to the ground with a sigh. Cloudjumper walked over to his human friend. **"Hey, uh... You alright?"**

"Mmmph..." It was quite clear that Valka was in no mood to talk anytime soon.

 **"Right... Sorry."** Cloudjumper apologized.

At another corner, Stryker simply lied down to rest. **"Didn't think he had the stomach to talk to his mother like that without at least twitching. I can _sense_ his inner struggle through the Connection." ** The Night Fury yawned.

 **"Yeah,** **"** Invy agreed, lying down next to her brother. **"He's quite good at his _'acting'_ as he calls it."**

 **"Though this _is_ the closest he got to in showing any signs of struggling with it." **Sibel added.

 **"I believe he was having trouble with Valka's distress."** Trick spoke up.  
 **"It is one of his weak points; the distress of females."** Treat added.

The other three dragons stared at him with surprise painted on their faces.

 **"What?"** Trick asked.  
 **"We can see those things about Our Leader too, you know."** Treat added as the Zippleback made the dragon equivalent of a shrug.

Still staring at the dragon with surprise and disbelief...

 **-0-**

 _With Hiccup and Fishlegs_

Once they were a fair distance away from the Cove, Hiccup let out a relieved sigh as he continued to walk alongside Fishlegs. "That was... Mentally taxing."

"Asking you if you're alright wouldn't be such a good idea, isn't it?" Fishlegs couldn't help but ask.

"It is, pardon my lack of a better word, a _stupid_ question to ask." Hiccup groaned, his voice slightly lacking its usual flare.

"Right..." Fishlegs then decided to change topics. "Would you like to read that report now?" He took out his personal notebook and offered it to Hiccup.

Hiccup sighed. "Yes, Fishlegs. Please, give them to me." He then took the book from Fishlegs' offering hand. He opened it and attempted to lose himself in the contents of the book of which he can only hope were highly detailed for his attempt.

 **-0-**

 _At the Village_

Once Hiccup and Fishlegs had reached the village, the two boys said their farewells and went their separate way.

Hiccup went straight to the Forge and into his little domain.

"Finally..." He breathed a sigh of relief as he sat down. Hiccup was about done reading the report and had decided to move on other things. He then reached his hand out for his notebook that was sitting nicely on the side of his table and grabbed it. He flipped through the various pages until he came to a stop to a page that had one single word written in his modern English language...

' _Valka'_

The next few pages were all about his various plans on what to do with Valka and how to make her reveal herself, but with the events of a few moments ago, it appears he will not need this anymore. Hiccup snorted in irritation as he ripped out all the pages associated with his mother's name. He crumpled all of the pages into a ball and threw it away. "What a mess." He groaned as he once again started flipping the pages back and forth to find a specific page.

"Ah, here it is." Hiccup said to himself as he found what he was looking for. This one was a page that was given the name _'Hookfang'_ , it was also written in modern English. "Let's see here..." He then started to read the details of his plans in accordance to how he shall interact with the Monstrous Nightmare.

One particular plan that caught his immediate attention was to meet up with the dragon at night time. It was a hastily made plan and Hiccup wasn't really sure whether he had planned all the details or not, but he was certain this could ease up any future meetings he could have with the Monstrous Nightmare. It was sounding quite tempting right now, actually. Perhaps he shall initiate that later if he hasn't found anything better.

He flipped through the pages and found himself staring at another plan of his. It reads: _"Let things continue on as normal and then Toothless will(hopefully) save me and I'll go do whatever those Evil!Hiccup or Ruler of dragons!Hiccup would do."_

...

Hiccup laughed to himself as he read the details regarding _that_ plan. As if he can go and pull off something like that. This was actually made when he was bored and had nothing to do so he created a _'tree of events'_ regarding that alternative plan of his. His laughter then toned down as the feeling washed over him. He sighed softly with a smile and simply stared at the notebook in his hands.

Most of his friends, both old and new, did not have the same pension of planning out the details as he did. He found solace within this activity; to plan out the details and to come up with possible scenarios and figure out ways to react to them. Granted he was no _'Lelouch Vi Britannia'_ **(props to you if you get that)** and recent events proved that he can't cover up _every_ possibility, but still...

It was a useful skill to have and it helps calm him down.

Hiccup then flipped the pages to reveal one that had the name _'Stoick'_. Truthfully, he had been lax with this one. As he delved into the contents of it, he couldn't help but voice his annoyance. "Tsk." He rolled his eyes and scanned its contents. He honestly had a bit of trouble with this one as he can't seem to come up with other plans for this one.

Writer's block, he liked to use as an excuse.

He _does_ have plans for it, really he does. It's just that he can't think of anything that were... Overly emotional. They're all just drafts, however. His father was a firm believer of the _'Extremely dangerous, Kill on sight'_ rule of the Book of Dragons(Hiccup's mood soured at the mention of such a horribly updated book). It did not help the fact that Valka's supposed death hammered that belief in quite tightly.

"Oh well. No time like the present, I suppose." Hiccup searched his table for his charcoal pencil. Once he found it, he grabbed it and started writing down on his notebook, losing himself in his own little world.

* * *

 **A/n: Geez, you'd think by now I'd get at least a little better with writing emotional scenes. Anyway, sorry for the short chapter, I just thought that this was a fitting way of concluding this part of the story. So tell me what you guys think. You guys think I could find ways to improve my writing? If so, kindly direct me to this helpful article or PM me your advice. Other than that, see you in the next update!**


	16. I'm on a dragon, motherfuckers!

Hiccup loves sleeping; a well-known fact by everyone who knows him. It boggled everyone as to why someone like Hiccup sleeps as often as he does. They can't just seem to imagine Hiccup as someone lazy enough to simply take a nap whenever they felt like it. But there he was, occasionally taking naps whenever he felt like it and when he managed to find a good spot(his preferred places are usually his own bed and the forge).

"Hiccup? By the gods, lad, I didn't think you'd find even the forge a comfy place to sleep."

It's not that he's actually lazy or anything. Hiccup just likes to take naps periodically, especially during his second life's childhood. Sure, he toned down on the napping as he grew older, but parts of his day is usually spent sleeping when he thinks he has nothing better to do. However, there is one thing that the villagers don't know about...

"Come on, lad. Wake up. You got training today."

It's that this is the time where his well-crafted facade is at its weakest.

"Gumrrrrrr... Whazzit nowwwww?"

As you can clearly see...

' _Heh. Thought he speaks all fancy even when he's half-asleep.'_ Gobber thought with a smirk before he nudged Hiccup once more to wake him up. "Come on, lad. Up and at 'em."

Hiccup shifted a bit but did not do anything else other than turning his head to the other side, facing away from Gobber. "Leave me alone..."

Gobber grunted but immediately came up with an idea. He quietly snickered and glanced at his hook hand. Surely Hiccup will forgive him for something like this, right? I mean, he's not waking up so...

 ***THWACK!***

"Aaaagghhhhh!" Hiccup roared in pain as he shot up from his sleeping position and quickly turned his head to glare at the offender. "What the Hel is _wrong_ with you?! You don't hit people in the head just to wake them up!"

"You weren't waking up." Gobber shrugged nonchalantly. "Besides, I think you need a reminder on how I deal with slackers." He added.

"That's..." Hiccup stopped himself and took a deep breath before exhaling to calm himself. " _That_ is an unreasonable excuse to wake up someone. Not everyone will react kindly to being assaulted whilst asleep. Ask my father for more information regarding that matter." He added in his formal, albeit slightly irritated, tone.

' _And it's back.'_ Gobber mused. "Well, come on, lad. You got dragon training today." The man then walked(if such a verb can be used with his given condition) out of the forge.

"Of course... How could I forget such an important part of my life?" Hiccup replied sarcastically, following suite.

 **-0-**

 _Later, At the Cove_

There was not much to say about Hiccup's first few hours of the day. He went to the Dragon Arena and had trained with his friends, having the Terrible Terror as their training partner...

To which, the moment the small dragon had been released, said dragon had immediately jumped at Hiccup, ramming him in the chest, and begged to be allowed to, and I quote, _"Serve under the Connection of my savior of which he is eternally grateful!"_. Hiccup punted the damn lizard back into its cage after that.

Then, he spent some time in the village, getting essentials like food for both himself and his father(once he comes back, of course), having some small chit-chat with Fishlegs who had decided to join him in his walk to the Cove.

Now, Hiccup was lecturing Fishlegs about dragons his way. Valka had also joined in to offer her knowledge about dragons. All three of them sat facing each other.

"So this grass—"

"Dragon nip, I'd like to call it." Hiccup interrupted.

"Okay, _dragon nip_ , calms down dragons that easily? Like, it's an immediate effect?" Fishlegs asked.

"Not all dragons can be pacified with it. Some dragons, like the Whispering death, are immune to its soothing effects." Valka added.

"Okay... Most dragons can be pacified with dragon nip." Fishlegs diligently wrote down on his notebook. "So, about that chin scratching thing..."

"Ah, yes." Hiccup nodded. "Keep in mind that you should only use it when the dragon is comfortable around your presence. Trying to get close to a wary dragon will yield some... Unsavory results." He advised.

" **Human!"** A roar blasted throughout the Cove. **"Let's go already! You said we'd be practicing flying now!"** The tone was loud and demanding but it held the maturity of an impatient child.

Hiccup sighed. "My apologies, Fishlegs. It appears my attention is required elsewhere. I have promised Toothless that today shall be our first real flight test and he could not just wait any longer." He stood up from the ground and walked over to the Night Fury who was giving him an irritated look.

" **Took you long enough."** Stryker huffed in annoyance, lowering himself a bit so that Hiccup could climb onto his now saddled back(it took a basket of fishes, Hiccup reciting a formal apology about Stryker's loss of his tail-fin, and a session of chin-scratching to finally persuade the dragon to put on the saddle).

Hiccup snorted. "Must you be so impatient? I had thought that someone of your stature would have more tolerance in waiting." He settled himself on the saddle and placed his foot down on the pedal that controlled the artificial fin.

" **When it comes to flying, a dragon never waits!"** As the Night Fury's wings unfurled, along with the tail-fin, Stryker launched upwards.

"Hrk!" Hiccup felt his stomach jump from the launch. "Still need to get used to that." He moaned, his voice lacking the usual formality it has, as the two of them ascended. "Let's head towards that place with the sea stacks, shall we?"

' _Hm... I feel like I'm forgetting something...'_

 **-0-**

 _Back at Berk_

Hiccup indeed has forgotten something. Today was the day that Stoick came back from another failed hunt.

The trip back home was accompanied with a depressing atmosphere.

Not only did they fail from even finding a hint as to where the Nest may be, halfway through the thick fog that obscured anything inside it they were attacked by dragons, the result being the loss of all but one ship. Even then, the remaining ship had been damaged.(Whoever's responsible for repairing the ships was gonna throw a fit, Stoick mused). After that fiasco, they were forced to retreat. Thankfully, through some miracle by the Gods, there were no casualties. The worst they received was a blow to their pride(and some few burns here and there).

Gobber was standing by the Docks. The half-limbed man then grabbed Stoick by the hand and helped him off the damaged ship. "I trust you found the Nest at least?" He asked.

Although, as the words left his mouth, he quickly realized that it was a stupid question to ask.

"Not even close." Stoick grumbled, his steps on the wooden planks more akin to stomping.

"Huh, excellent." Gobber remarked sarcastically.

"I hope you have a little more success than me." The tone in his voice sounded more like he was requesting rather than inquiring. After all of this, any good news is a welcome thing.

"Eh," Gobber shrugged. "More or less. All the other recruits still have their limbs attached, if that's what you mean, and Hiccup gave them a lesson in combat."

"And Hiccup?"

"Well, for the most part, he's the leading trainee. Though I'd be lying if I said he's serious about it." Although, the boy did express some unusual dedication into continuing dragon training.

"That's... Something, I guess." Stoick was relieved that Hiccup was at least okay.

Gobber chuckled. "What? I told you Hiccup's more than ready."

Really, if Hiccup was here, he'd be boasting. "Was there ever any doubt?" The boy would ask in a confident and smug tone as if the answer was so obvious that even a man with half a brain could easily answer. Speaking of Hiccup...

"Where is the lad anyway?" Stoick asked, looking around to see if he could spot his son around. He was always the second person to greet him whenever he returned from a failed search for the Nest.

His expression was always very neutral, though it held a message that said _"I told you so"_.

"Eh, he's been frequently disappearing from the village more often. Usually at the afternoon."

Now what could Hiccup be doing at that time, Stoick wonders.

 **-0-**

 _Back with Hiccup_

"Wooooohoo!"

Hiccup and Stryker(or Toothless, as Henry likes to call him) were zooming through the air with speeds that makes Hiccup wonder if the contents of his stomach might be coming back up his mouth soon.

Unlike in the original story, Henry had decided to speed the process up a bit.

" **Heh! This is nothing! If you'd let me, I could go faster!"** Stryker proclaimed, arcing to the left.

"As much as I'd like that," Hiccup spotted sea stacks below them and grinned. "I'd rather I don't fall off you until I've gained enough confidence." He turned the pedal and had both of them diving down towards the sea stacks.

As they passed through a rock formation overhead, Hiccup couldn't help but look up in awe. It all felt so... So _great_! Ever since he had arrived into this world(right after he moved on from the fact that he was reincarnated as Hiccup and will never be able to see all his loved ones ever again), he had dreamed to fly with Toothless like this.

It. Was. Amazing!

Hiccup couldn't help but let out a vigorous laugh. "This is officially the best day ever!" He yelled towards the sky.

Stryker smirked. **"Let's go faster then. It'd be even better!"** He encouraged the human.

Hiccup contemplated on that thought... For about two seconds before throwing any sense of self-safety out the metaphorical window. "Let's go then!"

And at this very moment was when future Hiccup/Henry would have a mental debate whether this was the greatest or the worst decision he ever made in his second life.

Because the moment he adjusted the artificial tail-fin to allow Stryker to go faster, the dragon became practically shot forward with speeds that were faster than before. The sudden change blew Hiccup back and he would've fallen off had it not been for the safety cord that he installed on the saddle. "Woah! That's fast!"

 **That's what she said... Did I do the joke right?**

 _Anyway_ , author's poor skills in making comedy aside **(that's kind of hypocritical since you and I are the same person, you asshole)** , the speed that the two were going made Hiccup's usually quick reflexes not function properly as they—

 ***BUMP!*** "Woops!"

And then ano—

 ***BUMP!*** "Guess I'm not as quick as I thought."

Stryker smacked Hiccup with his ear plate. **"Focus, human!"**

Hiccup used a hand to whack the Night Fury on the hand. "Need I remind you that it was _you_ who wanted to go faster and, if it wasn't obvious enough, I am the one responsible for your major maneuvering functions?"

" **Well you agreed to it!"** Stryker shot back.

Hiccup decided to give this short verbal victory to Stryker who, need he remind himself, is the only reason he's up in the sky enjoying the feeling of the wind. "... Touché." He then decided to go a bit more... Skyward. "Let's go up once more, Stryker!"

And so, they ascended to the sky. Hiccup once more felt the rush of the air blowing against him, all the while his heart pounded with excitement from the experience.

"This is fucking awesome! I have never felt so fucking great in my entire life!"

Except for that one time where he and Ashley ma—

 **Let me stop you right there! That kind of information is irrelevant to the story so it shall not be further elaborated! Back to the flying!**

Hiccup and Stryker soon stopped once the boy deemed it high enough and took a moment to stare behind him. He didn't notice that the safety cord suddenly unlatches though...

"Looks like you're enjoying yourself, son." A voice remarked nearby Hiccup and Stryker.

Hiccup's next action was to whip his head to the source of the voice and scream in modern English. _"Jesus fucking Chriiiiiiiii—?!_ " And there goes Hiccup falling off of Styker's back. Followed by Stryker falling as well since no one is controlling the artificial tail-fin that helped him stay up in the air.

Oops...

"Hiccup!" Valka, who somehow managed to catch up to the two, screamed as Cloudjumper dived down towards the falling human and dragon.

Hiccup trashed around and flapped his arms as if he had wings(which he didn't). "Aaaaaaah! This is awesome _and_ scary!" He screamed in both fear and excitement.

 **-0-**

 _Back at Berk_

Tuffnut and Ruffnut sneezed simultaneously.

 **-0-**

" **Hey, human! Get your senses right and stop us from plummeting to our deaths!"** Stryker roared, also flailing around as they quickly descend to...

Oh dear... Did those rock formations always looked so jagged?

"Right!" Hiccup attempted to get closer to the Night Fury by, uh, _"swimming"_ towards him. "If you would just—!"

 ***SLAP!*** "Ow!"

Apparently, not even Henry is safe from being accidentally tail-slapped by Toothless.

Hiccup could then hear the voice of his mother screaming out his name as he descended but he didn't care about that. He felt his heart pound faster and faster as his mind was filled with fear. He shook the rather graphic images of both his and Stryker's splattered corpses off his mind and refocused on his survival.

' _Come on, Hiccup! You can do this! Just gotta grab onto Toothless and get back on the air!'_ He then managed to finally grab onto the saddle and position himself on it.

" **I'd like it if you hurry it up, human!"** Stryker roared as they get closer and closer to certain death.

"I'm trying, damn it!" Hiccup quickly had Stryker unfurl his wings to slow their descent. It prevented them from crashing, sure, but now they head towards the various rock formations that would be the last thing they'll see if Hiccup could not do this right!

" **Humaaaaaaaannnn!"** Stryker shrieked, his heart pounding practically just as fast Hiccup's own.

' _Damn it! I'm not gonna die like this! I won't accept it!'_ Hiccup screamed in his thoughts.

Then... Something strange happened.

Hiccup's left eye glowed a bright emerald green color, the intensity much brighter than before, which was then followed by Stryker's right eye glowing the same color and intensity. Suddenly, all manner of fear left their body and they can now focus on flying better. _Much_ better.

The moment they reached their obstacles, they held neither fear nor doubts. They veered left and right and twirled around as if this was natural to them. Hiccup worked to control the tail-fin and provided the maneuverability while Stryker flew with the speed that he needed.

Then... They passed and the glow of their eyes dyed out.

Both Hiccup and Stryker were panting, unsure on what to feel on what they had experienced. Hiccup looked behind him, his mind seemingly unable to comprehend what just happened those few seconds ago.

"Hiccup!" They heard Valka call out. Hiccup turned his head to face his mother. "Are... Are you okay? I-I'm so sorry for startling you. I-I didn't mean it! I... You just look so..."

" **What she means to say, youngling, is that she apologizes for scaring you like that which led you to unexpectedly fall along with the Night Fury and almost died."** Cloudjumper stated for Valka.

"I..." Hiccup grinned widely. "I feel _ecstatic_! Wouldn't you agree, Stryker?!" He laughed, ignoring the fact that they almost died earlier.

Stryker didn't answer, too busy working his mind to find out the answer what the _Hel_ just happened. They were falling, they were about to die, and then...

Everything became... Weird. The Connection they shared had somehow _reacted_ to both their distress and... Did _something_. They felt... Synergized, for a lack of a better term. At that one moment, they didn't felt like dragon and rider. Just... Them. This was never heard of before.

"Hey, Toothless! Bud, you there?! I feel great! Don't you?!" And the human on his back is as energetic as a Hatchling who had just learned how to fly for the very first time on their own. Which, he supposed, was technically the case with this one.

" **Yeah. That was... Something."** Stryker decided not to think about it too much. They just managed to get out of a life threatening situation, after all. There'll be more time later to find his answer to this... Unknown variable of the Connection.

"Let's do that again!" Hiccup shouted with glee, practically losing all sense of safety in his mind.

"No!"  
 _ **"No!"**_ Was the simultaneous reply of Valka, Cloudjumper, and Stryker.

 **-0-**

 _Later_

Once all four of them had managed to get back to the Cove, Valka had worriedly looked over her son for any form of injury. Hiccup appreciates the concern but...

It was getting quite tedious.

"There doesn't seem to be any bruises or scratches. Although I could have missed them..."

"Ms. Valka, _please_. You have checked that side of me for far too many times for me to care about counting. I have no injury aside from the ones I have earned from my days as an apprentice to Gobber."

"If there's no injury, then it might be an internal one. Do you feel any form of discomfort?"

"I would have known if I was hurting on the inside, Ms. Valka. Trust me, I have experience with it."

"Okay... That's good. Nothing life threatening, I suppose." Valka sighed in relief.

Hiccup was finally able to step away from his worried mother. "Ms. Valka, now that you have confirmed for yourself that I have no injuries whatsoever, it is time we address the actual problem. _Why_ were you there?"

"Oh..." Valka felt a bit ashamed for her answer. "After you left, I then went with Cloudjumper. I couldn't miss your first flight with Toothless, after all."

Stryker would've made a comment about the reference but was too busy with his thoughts to say something.

"You scared the Hel out of me." Hiccup remarked.

Valka flinched. "I know... And I'm sorry for that. I didn't mean to..." She looked down in shame.

Hiccup sighed. Honestly... This woman... He has no words. "So then... Why did you leave Fishlegs when you were supposed to tutor him in my place?"

"Oh, I left him to get comfortable with the dragons. I'd rather watch you on your first flight." Valka answered with a straight face. The shame in her tone was practically gone.

"So... You _left_ Fishlegs here to get, as you say, _comfortable_ with the other dragons so that you can go with Cloudjumper to watch me fly with Toothless..." Hiccup spared a glance to Fishlegs who was quietly sitting at a corner watching their conversation. He looked back at Valka, a bewildered expression on his face. "Just like that?"

"I don't see any problems with that." Valka yet again answered with a straight tone.

Hiccup face-palmed. _'How... Apathetic of her.'_ He thought with a groan. Only she could leave a _still-learning-to-be-comfortable-around-the-presence-of-dragons-who-were-supposed-to-be-their-worst-enemies_ person with no qualms whatsoever. "Ms. Valka, I do not think you understand the meaning of the word _'Empathy'_."

Valka frowned. "I believe I do." She retorted, rather confused as to why Hiccup would accuse her of not knowing such a word.

"Then you do not know how to apply it with other people." Hiccup sighed. "Ms. Valka, you cannot just leave people, especially people that are sensitive to being around dragons like Fishlegs, behind like that. Do I, of all the people in this world, have to give you a lesson in social studies?" His tone sounded like a parent chastising their child after they had just done something wrong.

Valka picked up on the tone her son was using on her. "Now don't you use that tone on me, young man." She said while a smirk threatened to form on her lips.

"I believe I have the right to do so." Hiccup huffed, crossing his arms. "Why, I believe I would be doing you a favor; to have you relearn the ways on how to act in human society." Despite Valka finding the tone he's using with her rather amusing to hear, it did not seem that Hiccup was joking.

Fishlegs decided to intervene. "Uhm, Hiccup? I don't really mind at all. I actually learned quite a lot from Ms. Valka." He tried to reason, however, the other boy is having none of it.

Hiccup gave him a wave of dismissal. "Not now, Fishlegs. I am thinking up of numerous sessions of which I am to apply all my knowledge about social etiquette to my poorly educated mother. Hn... Quite the conundrum... Never thought I _had_ to do something like this." He cupped a hand on his chin as he put himself in deep thought.

Valka laughed. Hard. A bit too hard for her liking, but she couldn't help it. Her son was unlike anyone she has ever seen before **(Bar's not really high on that one)**. The seriousness in his voice and his words were just... Too much for her.

While all that was happening, let's go to Stryker, shall we? The Night Fury had watched the entire conversation between the three humans unfold, however his mind was elsewhere. He was still trying to figure out the weird incident regarding the sudden spike in the Connection.

He can't seem to find the words to describe the... _Sensation_ that he felt during that moment. He has a feeling that the human had felt it too. After all, it was the human's Connection that gave them that sensation; that feeling of... Synergy. Then, there was his Connection. He felt it resonate with the human's own rather strongly; far too strong for his liking.

Stryker shook his head. This shouldn't be possible. His Connection is not so easily overtaken; his years spent under the Tyrant's oppressive Connection had proven as such. He can resist it... So then why couldn't he resist the human's Connection? Matter of fact, he accepted it so readily, almost as if...

As if it was his _right_.

" **Hey, youngling, something bothering you?"** Cloudjumper's voice snapped Stryker out of his thoughts.

The Night Fury shook his head before turning it at the older dragon. **"Hey, uh, have you ever experienced anything...** _ **Weird**_ **with the Connection?"** Maybe he could've worded that a bit better, but it was hard to find the words for it.

Cloudjumper blinked. **"Why do you ask?"**

Stryker moaned, feeling rather uneasy for some reason. **"Well, it's, uh... There's something that happened when me and that human were falling and almost died. The Connection did something and made us feel... Different."** He then tried to explain to the best of his abilities the experience they went through in that one moment.

Cloudjumper listened to it with two emotions flashing across his face. First was confusion, then quickly switching to shock. Once he was done listening to the younger dragon's story, he took a moment to process all the information he had just been given.

One thing he did confirm from all of this was that the human youngling, Hiccup, is now an even bigger bundle of mysteries(that also means more headaches trying to figure him all out).

" **I..."** Cloudjumper searched through his memories that can relate to Stryker's story. **"Can't say that I've ever heard of anything like that. I mean..."** Well, there is one, but he doubts the younger dragon would like what he'll hear. **"The only thing that I ever heard something similar was, uh..."** He paused.

" **What? Come on, tell me."** Stryker urged.

" **Was... When two dragons would form...** _ **Mating bonds**_ **."**

Stryker's face, if possible through his jet-black scales, turned a shade of green.

Cloudjumper quickly tried to defuse the situation. **"No, no! I only said** _ **'something similar'**_ **! I didn't mean that's the case! I've never really heard of anything** _ **like**_ **this before!"**

Relief washed over Stryker's face. He was so glad that wasn't it, the mere thought of it just... _Disturbs_ him in so many levels. **"So... That horrific thought aside,"** The Night Fury couldn't help but shiver a bit. **"You really have no idea what happened to us?"**

Cloudjumper shook his head. **"Nope. Only thing that I can offer is maybe it's because your link with the human has gotten stronger. That happens..."** The Stormcutter's eyes narrowed. **"I think?"**

Stryker could only groan. **"Great..."** He groaned. This can't be happening. There is just no way this is happening. He couldn't possibly... He spared a glance towards the human who was still engrossed with his thoughts to pay attention to the amused look of his mother was giving him and the larger human's attempts of getting his attention.

Stryker shook his head for the third time. It can't be... It just can't.

 **-0-**

 _Later, At Berk_

Hiccup was quite reluctant to simply let the _'issue'_ go, but he was persuaded to by the fact that they have spent too much time in the Cove so he was forced to go back to the village with Fishlegs(not before promising to his mother that he will eventually ' _help'_ her with social interactions with other people).

It was when he noticed a few of the villagers who, to his knowledge, were supposed to be on another Nest hunt were walking around the village that Hiccup remembered what he was forgetting.

Today was the day that Stoick came back from the hunt...

' _Shit!'_ He completely forgot about that! Hiccup broke into a sprint and hurried back to his house. He passed through a few of the returners giving him a few greetings, paying no heed to them as he ran. _'Shit, shit, shit, shit! I'm not done planning yet! Damn, damn, damn! Stupid lazy me!'_ He cursed himself in his thoughts.

After running like a dragon was hot on his heels, he came to a stop the moment he reached his house. He panted heavily as he used his knees to keep himself from falling over. Once he managed to catch his breath, he prepared himself for the situation he's about to put himself in and get all his wits together.

He may not have a plan all figured out, but perhaps he can make do with what he has. He dislikes improvising, but he cannot deny the results it gives(when it benefits him, of course).

He opened the door and saw his father inside. "Greetings, father. It is good to see that you have returned safely."

* * *

 **A/n: Woo! Another chapter for you guys! I would've made this longer but I needed some more time to think up the scenario and I felt like this is sufficient for you guys. If you see any problems, please notify me. See you in the next update! Bye bye!**


	17. We meet at last, little Monarch

_At the Haddock house_

There were quite a few, yet rather time consuming, things for Stoick the Vast to think about.

First was the fact that they _yet again_ failed to find the Nest. It was, for all intents and purposes, aggravating to no end.

Second, the conditions of the village. It was worsening with each attack and, if it continues like this, they wouldn't even have any animals left to use as a food source.

Third, the whereabouts of his son. Gobber had reported that Hiccup had been disappearing from the village more often than before, and while the boy is well known for wandering in the forest for _"enhancing his sword skills"_ ; it was still worrying for Stoick.

Speaking of Hiccup...

"Greetings, father. It is good to see that you have returned safely."

Had Stoick been a lesser man than he is today, he probably would've visibly jumped at the sudden sound of Hiccup's calm voice. He turned around and saw Hiccup by the door. "Hiccup." He gave his son a nod of acknowledgement. As he watched his son step inside the house, Stoick could see a new emotion flash in his son's face, uncertainty. It was only for a moment and Stoick was lucky to catch a glimpse of it, any lesser and he would've missed it and only caught sight of his son's neutral face.

"It brings me joy to see that you have arrived safe and sound, father. Tell me, how goes the hunt for the Nest?" Hiccup asked, although Stoick was sure he knew the answer. He was just waiting for him to speak.

So Stoick gave his son the answer. "We didn't find the Nest."

Hiccup frowned. "I see..." He then crossed his arms. "How many?"

"None, thank Thor."

Hiccup sighed in relief. " _That_... Is an improvement."

Then… there was silence. No, really. Just awkward silence, the kind of silence when two strangers met each other and attempted to relate to one another. Thick and heavy silence, aside from the crackling sounds that came from the fireplace.

The kind of silence that Hiccup didn't like.

"But enough about that!" Hiccup exclaimed, putting on a smile to lighten the mood. "I am sure that Gobber has informed you of my success in dragon training." He decided that this should be a good conversation starter. After all, Stoick would just _love_ to hear that his lazy son has started to take being a Viking seriously.

Stoick grunted. "I'll have to admit, you surprised me, son." Really, he is. He had thought that Hiccup wouldn't bother with even taking dragon training seriously due to his reputation of being rather apathetic about it. "It's good to know that you decided to take things seriously."

Hiccup shrugged. "What can I say? I am just simply amazing."

And of course his son is known for being a huge boaster when he wants to be.

Stoick then remembered something. "Oh, uh, son. Come here." He motioned with his hands for the boy to approach him.

"Yes, father?" Hiccup did as he was told and went right beside the man.

"I, uhm, I got you something. As a gift for getting this far in dragon training." And something to keep him safe in the ring, but that's technically just a bonus for Hiccup. Stoick held out a helmet.

A helmet that Hiccup immediately recognized.

Hiccup accepted the offered helmet into his hands, his eyes widening in awe. "Wow… I, uh, don't know what to say. Thanks, I guess." He said, losing his usual tone.

"Your mother would've wanted you to have that." Hiccup was too busy caressing the helmet, feeling the materials it was made from, to pay attention to what Stoick said. "It's half of her breast plate."

And then Hiccup stopped, feeling the need to cringe but refrained from doing so. Oh… right. That was a thing.

Stoick tapped the helmet on his own head. "Matching set. Keeps her… Keeps her close, you know?"

Hiccup didn't know how to respond. How _could_ he? He's already met his mother so the emotional value of the… breast hat(Hiccup fought the urge to snort or smirk and won by a small margin) was lost to him. He decided not to say anything in case he might say something completely stupid.

One such example was asking about his mom's breast size. That was something that, although he wasn't sorry for nor did he regret it, he'd rather forget.

Hiccup then decide it was time to end this conversation and advance to the next day. He faked a yawn, Hiccup style. "I believe I shall retire for the night. Thank you for this wondrous gift, father." He stood up from his seat and made his way upstairs to his room.

' _There it is again.'_ Stoick mused as he watched his son disappear upstairs. He always wondered why Hiccup always carried that accent whenever he talks to someone. Although he will admit, through the many years he's spent with him, he wouldn't sound complete without it. He knows Hiccup can talk just like them, but it seems the boy likes to talk like a trader even with normal conversations. He supposed that he could only catch the boy lose the accent whenever he surprises him. Oh well. He's Hiccup, Stoick supposed. It just made him all the more unique...

Come to think of it, he might become a good diplomat because of that.

 **-0-**

 _Next morning_

Hiccup woke up early today. Now, waking up early wasn't exactly a strange concept to him. After all, there wasn't a week that dragon raid wouldn't occur. But today, he'd rather prefer to be woken up by a dragon raid than... _this._

 _ **[Human! How long are you going to sleep in your nest?!]**_

Hiccup's left eye twitched in irritation and he was sure the Night Fury knew that he did as well. Perhaps that's part of the reason why he _practically gave Hiccup a heart attack by shouting at him via the Connection!_

 _ **[Stryker!]  
[How rude of you! To disturb Our Leader for the sake of your selfish desires without even proper respect!]**_

The overzealous two-headed dragon didn't help his growing headache either.

 _ **[He's had enough sleep! I wanna fly now!]**_

Hiccup groaned as he massaged his forehead. That headache is growing worse now. Unfortunately, it seems he can't cut off the mental link with Toothless for some reason.

 _ **[Hey, human! Are you listening?! Are you still sleeping?!]**_

If he hears one more voice, he's gonna—

 _ **[Such impudence, Stryker!]  
[To think that Our Leader tolerates your persistent disregard for respect!]**_

... That did it. Hiccup's left eye lit up with an ethereal flame as the Connection was filled with his anger.

 _[Shut! Up! I'll come over there when I feel like it, alright?! One more word out of any of you and I'll fucking strangle you! Just...! Shut the fuck up!]_

After his outburst, the ethereal flame in Hiccup's eye died down. He then tried to calm himself down by breathing in and out slowly. The Connection was silent and Hiccup could feel fear from someone but he paid no mind to it as he cut off the link.

"Urgh... Never thought Toothless, of all people, could piss me off this much." He groaned as he stood up from his bed. He then dressed himself in his usual attire(He likes to sleep topless, after all) and then placed his sheathed sword, Endeavor, into its usual spot on his waist.

Hiccup was about to go downstairs but then caught sight of the helmet that Stoick gave him last night. He decided to put it on to see what it felt like wearing it.

It was a... decent feeling.

Walking down the stairs, he saw his father just preparing to leave.

Stoick looked surprised to see him up so early but decided to greet him anyway. The boy was probably excited for the big day(A small part of Stoick told him that's not true). "Hiccup. I see you're up early."

Hiccup smiled, masking his earlier frustration really well. "Yes, father. I was simply too excited for this day."

Stoick nodded. "Ah, I see. You know, I was like you too when I was your age." He said in a rather nostalgic tone.

' _Obviously you weren't a guy from the modern world reborn into a supposedly fictional world with dragons.'_ Hiccup mused as he just shrugged in reply.

"So when will it start?" He asked, taking a sit in front of their table where a piece of bread and a chicken leg rested on a wooden plate.

"The ones who came with me to the Nest hunt needed to take a bit of arrest so we should be gathering at the arena at midday." Stoick answered.

Hiccup took a bite out of the bread, trying not to twitch at the lack of flavour. Fourteen years and he still can't get used to the _'tough and tasteless food'_... He sighed in between chews.

"I see... Plenty of time to prepare, I suppose."

"Aye." Stoick then went to leave. "Well, better be ready, son. Make me proud." He existed through the door, leaving Hiccup to his breakfast.

"Hmph..." Hiccup quickly finished his food as he contemplated what to do until the session starts.

He thought about hanging out at the Cove with his dragon friends and his mother and Cloudjumper, but the earlier incident immediately soured the idea.

He then thought about simply hanging out with his fellow peers and just do whatever they want. Maybe go prank some people with the twins and Snotlout, talk to Fishlegs about dragons(although that'd mean that they won't be hanging around the others), or maybe see what Astrid's doing. Hiccup smiled at the thought of the Hofferson girl.

...

Yeah, hanging out with his human friends is probably for the best, given his mood about dragons right now. Just as Hiccup stood up from the table, a knock came from outside.

"Hiccup? You in there?"

' _Ah. Fishlegs.'_ Hiccup went towards the door and opened it, revealing that Fishlegs Ingerman was in fact at his door with an eager smile on his face. "Fishlegs. I must admit, you caught me by surprise. What brings you to my door?"

"Well, I wasn't really gonna visit, but when I saw your dad and asked if you were awake. He said you were so I thought that maybe you wanna come with me to the Cove. You know, help me learn more about—?!" Fishlegs wasn't able to finish his rambling as Hiccup used his hand to silence him by covering the Ingerman' mouth.

"Fishlegs, we are not exactly in a private setting." Hiccup warned the large boy.

Fishlegs' eyes widened in realization. He nodded before Hiccup uncovered his mouth. "Sorry."

"You are forgiven. As for your request..." Hiccup paused. On one hand, he doesn't really feel like visiting his dragon friends right now. Not when his mood towards them are a bit sour as of right now. On the other hand, denying his friend a request to learn more of the world of dragons didn't really sit well with him.

...

"I am afraid we will not be travelling to the Cover for now."

"What? Why not?" Fishlegs asked.

"Something came up." Hiccup reasoned. It technically wasn't a lie so he supposed it's okay. "Besides, today is a special day. We cannot just disappear so suddenly, not when my father is around."

"Oh." Fishlegs understood his friend's reasoning, but still sounded rather saddened. "Yeah. You're right."

Hiccup smiled. "Come now, Fishlegs. Do not look so downtrodden. I can still teach you myself." He then gestured for the Ingerman to come inside his house.

Fishlegs happily obliged, eager to learn more knowledge about dragons.

 **-0-**

 _Later, At the Dragon Arena_

It was very loud.

That was the first thing that came to mind as Hiccup stood in front of the gates outside of the arena. The entire village had gathered all around the ring to watch the two top trainees and see which one shall be the better Viking. Many chose Hiccup for his speed, strength, and rather unusual dedication to be the top contender would certainly win him a place in their ranks. Others believed Astrid would win simply because she was just as dedicated to catch up to the young heir.

Either way, it would still be interesting to watch these two teenagers in action.

Hiccup had his sword, Endeavor, on his left hand while his right was left free as he chose to leave his shield in favour of quicker movement. He turned to face Astrid. "Quite an audience we have here, wouldn't you agree, my dear?" He asked with a smirk.

Astrid rested her axe on her shoulder, looking as casual as she can get when near the boy(Although considering she doesn't look flustered in anyway, it was an impressive attempt). "Yeah, guess the entire village wants to see some mauling, am I right?" She replied.

It wasn't visible to Astrid, but Hiccup's eyes seemed to glow with an amused glint. It looks like the Hofferson girl can finally utter out a sentence without stuttering. That was good; it means he's making progress. Although, he wasn't quite sure what made such progress in her attitude.

"Oh my dear Astrid..." Hiccup practically purred. "Such fire, it refreshes me to see you like this. Has becoming closer to stand your ground against me in combat unlocked this side of you? I find it quite... exhilarating."

 **Oh god... I can't believe I wrote that... Pffft...!**

Astrid almost stiffened but managed to keep her composure. "What can I say? I have my own reputation to uphold and bolster." She laughed.

Hiccup's smirk grew into a wide grin. "Oh yes..." He dragged the _'s'_ longer than he needed it to be. "May the best fighter win."

Astrid smirked. "So you don't consider yourself as _'the best fighter'_? That's new." Truthfully, she didn't know what she was saying. She was just taking advice from Ruffnut, saying that she needed to show Hiccup she can be witty as well if she wanted to really catch Hiccup's eye.

And from the way Hiccup laughed, she's pretty sure it was working.

Astrid then noticed the helmet on Hiccup's head. "I didn't know you had a helmet."

Hiccup shrugged. "I received it last night as a gift from my father."

Astrid was about to speak until they heard the unmistakable sound of a peg leg thumping against the ground. Gobber is here. The half-limbed man approached the two from behind. "Alright, you two, this is your big chance to prove to the entire village that you're ready to take on the big boys. Show 'em what you got." He said as he pulled the lever and opened the gate.

"Thanks, Gobber." Astrid went inside, each of her steps resembling that of an excited child.

"The masses shall be roaring our names as we show them our determination." Hiccup proclaimed as he followed Astrid inside.

As the two trainees strode towards the center of the arena, the cheers and roars grew louder. At the center of it all was Stoick with Gothi, the village elder, at his side observing them with careful eyes.

"Alright, everyone, settle down!" Stoick commanded, making everyone lower their voices to murmurs. "We gathered here today to watch as these two warriors," He waved his hands towards the two trainees.

"Hiccup, my son." The crowd erupted in cheers at the name. "And Astrid from the Hofferson family." Even more loud cheers. "Prove to us that they have what it takes to be one of us!" The cheers somehow grew louder. "Gobber, let's get started!"

"Righty-ho!" A pull of a lever and the doors that held the dragon—

 ***BAM!* "Hello, Berk!"**

At the sight of the Gronckle, Hiccup and Astrid scurried and hid behind the many barriers around the stuck his head up the wooden barrier he hid in to see what the Gronckle is up to.

" _Holy shit!_ " Hiccup immediately pulled his head back just as a fiery ball of molten lava flew past where his head was half a second ago.

 _[Meatlug! That could've killed me!]_

 _ **[Silly Hiccup!]**_ Meatlug made the dragon equivalent of a giggle. _**[That wouldn't have hit you! You're good at dodging!]**_

Hiccup quickly rolled to the next barrier. "Where the hell did that kindness from all those years ago go to?!" He muttered to himself as he stared at the wall that Meatlug's attack had damaged. That would've killed him... Yet the dragon was completely fine with shooting at him. "And what the hell is that logic?!"

 ***BOOM!* "Slippery human! Come out and fight!"**

Hiccup gulped nervously. "What happened? I was sure I managed to mellow her out! Why is she shooting at me?!" He started to panic as another explosion occurred somewhere else, most likely the Gronckle attempting to hit Astrid.

Speaking of Astrid...

"Hiccup?" Astrid's voice snapped Hiccup out of his thoughts. He took a glance at the Hofferson girl before gesturing to keep quiet, hearing the Gronckle getting closer.

" **Human? Hiccup? Where'd you go~?"** Meatlug buzzed overhead of them, but the dragon didn't seem to notice their presence and continued to move along.

"On the count of three," Hiccup whispered to Astrid as he held out three fingers. "One, two—!"

The sound of something being fired at them caused Hiccup to act quickly by grabbing the girl's hand and yanking her towards him and used his body to shield the girl from the—

 ***BOOM!*** "Gah!"

Hiccup and Astrid were blown away from the wooden barrier they were hiding in. Astrid, being shielded by Hiccup as best as his thin body could, only received some few bruises inflicted by being shoved down to the stone ground. Hiccup, however, received a worse treatment. He hissed as he quickly got rid of the burning fur vest. The sleeve of his left arm and his back were slightly burnt by the explosion. Gasps could be heard from outside the arena as they caught sight of the injured Haddock boy.

" **Hiccup?! Oh..."** Meatlug's eyes widened as she saw the damage she had done to the human who's Connection had linked to hers and had befriended her. **"Oh no... I- I didn't mean it! I- I thought you weren't..."**

"Hiccup! Are you alright?!" Astrid quickly regained her composure and stood up to help the boy.

"Fine..." Hiccup hissed in pain as he quickly ripped the left sleeve of his tunic. "I can still make this work." He stood up, albeit shakily, and pointed his sword using his right hand. His left hand is a bit useless right now.

 _[Meatlug, you're going to do exactly as I say.]_ Hiccup quickly started moving as Astrid charged at the Gronckle with a furious yell. _[Make sure to dodge the angry human. She's not happy with the burn you gave me.]_

 _ **[G-got it!]**_ Meatlug followed the boy's advice and quickly avoided the axe-swinging Shield Maiden.

Hiccup managed to get behind Meatlug. _[Now, I'm gonna jump on top of you, you're going to try and shake me off, and then I'm gonna knock you out. Just trust me on this.]_

 _ **[O-of course, Hiccup! I'll trust you!]**_

Then, Hiccup jumped at Meatlug and landed on her back. The action caused a lot of gasps from the crowd and Astrid to gape at the boy's rather bold move. "Stand back! This one's gonna get a bit wild!" Hiccup warned while sending a mental command to Meatlug to empty out her breaths.

Complying, the Gronckle fired molten lava at random directions, some of them heading towards Astrid's direction to which the girl quickly dodged. She quickly ran out of shots.

Hiccup then drove Meatlug to a wall, sending her crashing to the wall head-first. The Gronckle was disoriented, but was otherwise fine. _[Then, you're unconscious.]_

Meatlug did just that, falling into the ground, faking her defeat. Hiccup got off the dragon and raised his fist to the air. "I rise victorious!" He proclaimed.

The sound of Hiccup's triumphant voice made the crowd erupt in cheers.

Hiccup smiled, basking in the loud chants of his name. However, his moment was cut short when he felt his left arm and back sting a bit from the burn.

"That was... really crazy." Astrid stated, walking beside Hiccup.

"Your efforts were admirable as well, Astrid." Hiccup replied.

"I guess between you and me, there's no competition." Astrid sighed, a bit disappointed with the outcome but not at all surprised. Hiccup was simply leagues above compared to her.

Hiccup gave her a soft smile and placed his left hand, flinching a bit, on her shoulder. "Well, you know what they say; every defeat serves as a sharpener for one's skills. I assure you, Astrid, one day you will be able to fight on par with me. And I do look forward for that, my dear." He gave her a wink which sent the girl nearly flustering.

"Everyone, we have a winner! Hiccup!" Stoick's voice boomed, eliciting more loud cheers from the crowd.

Gobber stepped inside the arena and gave the boy a pat on the shoulder. "Quite a bold move you did, lad."

"Nothing that cannot be expected from someone such as myself." Hiccup boasted with a smirk, but quickly grimaced in pain.

"Let's get you to a healer, lad." Gobber quickly led Hiccup out of the arena with Astrid following closely behind.

 **-0-**

 _Later, At the Cove_

It took quite a while for Hiccup and Fishlegs to slip through the masses of Vikings that congratulated the Haddock boy for his victory. The other teens were equally as hard, as they insisted that they stick around for some celebration at the Great Hall, but Hiccup was quick to deny them.

"This is only the prelude of my achievements. Tomorrow, I shall prove my worth to the village by slaying the toughest dragon we have—The Monstrous Nightmare. When that is done, I shall join you in the festivities of my victory." Was his reason to get away from all of them.

Right now, however, Hiccup feels like he may have preferred to stay in the village.

" **P-please forgive us, Our Leader!"  
"We tried to warn the young Night Fury but he simply would not listen." **Trick and Treat practically begged, bowing both of their heads in front of Hiccup.

Hiccup groaned, massaging his forehead. "Yes, yes. You are forgiven, Trick and Treat. Just make sure it never happens again."

" **Yes!"  
"We thank you for your forgiveness, Our Leader! We do not deserve your kindness!" **The Zippleback's two heads shot up in happiness and quickly retreated away from the boy.

Then, Hiccup turned his head to the Night Fury. He gave the dragon a hard stare, although he kept a smile on. Despite the smile, it was clear he was less than happy with the dragon's earlier intrusion of his precious nap time. "Stryker, is there something you would like to add?"

Stryker snorted, not even bothering to look at Hiccup. **"If you think I'm gonna say sorry, we might as well not talk to each other. I'm a dragon and I am** _ **not**_ **gonna apologize to a human."**

Hiccup made a choking sound as if he swallowed something unpleasant as his left eye twitched in irritation. His smile was still on, but it was clear that it was strained. "I see... You know, I may be hospitable and a very tolerant person, but I do have my limits. You are reaching them, perhaps pushing them even." He stated, finding it hard to maintain his accent while keeping a calm tone.

" **I can tell you're finding it hard to keep up that accent. Why don't you just lose it anyway? It's actually annoying."** Stryker replied with a yawn.

Hiccup was about to yell whatever profanities he had in his vocabulary(Language barrier be damned) but was quick to stop himself by biting his lip. He then calmed himself down by inhaling and exhaling heavily. He then gave Stryker another hardened stare. "This is getting us nowhere." He sighed as he placed a hand on his forehead.

" **I agree."** Stryker got up from his lying position and bounded over in front of Hiccup. **"Glad you see things my way. Now get on."** He lowered himself to allow the human to get on his back.

Hiccup wasn't up for another argument with the dragon so he simply got on Stryker's back and strapped himself in. "I wish you would not be so difficult, Stryker. This is hardly a good route to forming relationships."

Stryker snorted. **"That's where you're making a mistake. I** _ **don't**_ **want to be friends with you. How many times do I have to tell you that?"** He then prepared to take off to the sky.

"Wait!" But before any form of flight could take place, Valka decided to stop them in their tracks.

"Yes? What is it, Ms. Valka?" Hiccup asked, quirking a brow at his mother.

"I, erm, I simply think that you need someone to come with you, that's all." Valka replied.

" **Absolutely not."** Stryker growled. Hiccup found it odd that the dragon was quick to refuse the suggestion.

"I will have to agree with Stryker on this one, Ms. Valka." Hiccup stated, crossing his arms. "I am quite capable of keeping myself safe. Besides," He patted the Night Fury's head. "I am sure I can rely on Toothless to keep me from harm's way."

" **If only to make sure I still have a way of flying and fulfill my duty to my fellow dragons back at the Nest."** Stryker grumbled.

"But what if you fell again? What if you were spotted? What if, what if you—"

"Ms. Valka, I will be fine. All of the processes of securing myself on Toothless' back had all been taken care off. I did not spend weeks of testing by falling flat on my face and not learning anything." Hiccup reasoned to his mother.

" **Sure, if you didn't count the first few times you tried it."** Stryker remarked, rolling his eyes. He can't tell whether he should be annoyed or amused at the memories. On one hand, it was hilarious to see the human fall on his face. On the other hand, he also crashed with the human so it wasn't as fun as he'd have liked.

"Quiet you." Hiccup hissed, his face flushing in embarrassment.

"I kinda have to agree on Ms. Valka on this one, Hiccup." Fishlegs spoke up. "You don't really know what will happen and if something did happen, we can't exactly... You know, come get you."

Hiccup growled in irritation, as did Stryker but he paid no mind to it. " _Fine_. If you are so adamant about my well-being, I shall take Trick and Treat and Kickstarter with me. Is that sufficient to restore peace to your mind?" Hearing their names being called and the duty they were given, the Zippleback beamed with joy.

" **Yes, Our Leader!"** Trick chirped. **  
"We shall assure your safety even at the cost of our life!"** Treat added, their eyes sparkling with happiness.

The Monstrous Nightmare, on the other hand, didn't feel the same way. **"Uhm, I'm not so sure about the whole** _ **'cost of life**_ **' thing, but I'll be sure to help, Hiccup."**

"I would rather none of you die at all. I shall make it an order if I have to" Hiccup stated, his gaze wandering towards the two-headed dragon. "I am serious. Got that, mutton-heads?"

" **Eep!"  
"Yes, Our Leader!" **The Zippleback gulped nervously.

"Alright, Toothless." Hiccup braced himself for take-off, the Henry part of his brain getting excited once more. "Let's go!"

" **Remember, you two!"** Toothless leaped upwards to the sky. **"You just stay behind us!"** The two other dragons then unfurled their wings and took to the sky.

" **Make sure Hiccup returns safely, Zippleback."** Invy told the two-headed dragon.

" **Please."** Trick scoffed.  
 **"We are the best dragon for the job."** Treat added, following after the Night Fury and their Leader.

Back with Hiccup, the boy laughed as he and Toothless soared through the sky at high speeds. He never really got tired of this sensation. How could he? He was living the dream of every(Probably) HTTYD fan ever; riding on top of Toothless, feeling the wind push against his face, the thrill of being so high up the ground, and the rush of adrenaline he gets from all the possible tricks he could do.

All in all, it was awesome.

"Let's go somewhere a bit further away from Berk, bud." Hiccup said, his gaze turning to the direction of the vast ocean.

" **Don't call me** _ **'bud'**_ **."** Toothless growled before complying with the human on his back and heading towards the ocean.

"Hmph." Hiccup pouted. Childish of him, he knows. "You're such a killjoy."

" **And you're persistent. I told you we're not friends."**

"Yet." Hiccup added. "Like you said, I'm very persistent, and I'll do whatever it takes to befriend you!"

Stryker snorted, but said nothing else as their speed decreased, slowing down to the point that the two other dragons that were struggling to match their speed to catch up.

Hiccup noted the contemplative feeling he got from the dragon. "Something in your mind?"

Stryker grumbled. **"There's, uh... There's actually a reason why I wanted to fly with you. Preferably without the other two."**

Hiccup looked back, seeing the two other dragons watching them silently. "Those two will be hanging back for now so we have the privacy. What did you want?"

" **I, uh... I actually wanted to talk to you about things involving the Connection."** Stryker said, a bit hesitant.

"What about it?"

" **Remember that time when we... nearly fell to our deaths and then something happened?"**

Hiccup did remember. It was one of the most exhilarating times he ever had, as far as he could recall. "Yeah. Think we could do it again?" He asked with excitement in his voice.

Stryker seemed to shiver. **"Let's... Let's not do that."**

Hiccup frowned. "Why? Was it uncomfortable?"

" **No... At least, not much."** Stryker replied.

"Then... What is it? I wanna help with any problem you have."

" **You know about my problem with the Connection..."**

"Well, yes..." Hiccup paused for a moment. "Oh. I see." He nodded in understanding.

" **So... What I'm trying to say is that I'm not used to this whole thing. This, uh... being so accepting to the Connection."**

Hiccup nodded once more. "Got it. Don't worry, I'm a friendly guy once you get to know me." He gave the Night Fury a wide grin.

Stryker seemed satisfied with the boy's answer. **"Alright... Let's just continue flying, I guess."**

" **Such generosity!"** Trick suddenly roared.  
 **"Our Leader is truly considerate and we are honored to be part of your Connection!"** Treat added, the two-headed dragon flying besides the Night Fury and human.

Hiccup and Stryker gritted their teeth in irritation.

 **-0-**

 _Later_

"We've been flying for quite some time now, haven't we?" Hiccup spoke up, looking around and noticing the skies darkening.

Stryker was about to speak, but then he felt something in his head. A shiver then went down his spine as his limbs suddenly locked up, but his wings still function.

"Gah!" Hiccup yelped as Stryker suddenly dove down. "Toothless? Toothless, what's wrong?" He asked with worry as he took notice of the Night Fury's ragged breathing and jerky movements. Matter of fact, as Hiccup looked at the two other dragons, both Trick and Treat and Kickstarter were acting similar.

Stryker panted heavily, the words of the human on his back not reaching him. He can feel it. Mother of dragons, he can _feel_ it! The Tyrant's Connection!

Hiccup looked around, noticing the sudden increase of dragons around them. His eyes widened as he realized what was happening. "Oh no..." He murmured, feeling his stomach drop and his mind being sent to disarray. "Toothless, we need to get out of here." He whispered to the Night Fury, pressing himself closer to the dragon.

Stryker tried to comply; he _really_ did. But he couldn't _move_. Why can't he move? He tried to speak.

...

He can't speak! Why can't he speak?! What's happening?!

"Toothless! We need to get out of here! Are you listening?!"

' _ **I'm sorry.'**_ Stryker whimpered in his thoughts, the best he could do to express himself was a low groan. _**'It's too... It's too strong.'**_ Even his thoughts were getting harder to form.

Hiccup tried to use his Connection to command Stryker, but all that did was rewarding him with a headache that grew stronger the harder he tried. He started panicking. _'Stupid, stupid Hiccup! How did I forget this was gonna happen! Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!'_ He then thought about steering the Night Fury away by altering the artificial tail fin, but decided against it. With how many dragons there are, chances of them being caught are extremely high.

Soon, Hiccup and the three dragons reached the Nest. Even when they haven't even got close, Hiccup could feel the oppressive aura emanating from inside the volcano where the titanic monster resided. The air became dry as they entered the lair through one of the gaps leading inside.

Hiccup watched as the dragons dumped fish and sheep into the pit that was obscured by a red mist below as he felt his heart beat faster to the point where he was afraid that it could burst out of his chest and run away from the sheer amount of fear he's feeling right now. Looking down, he saw no clear sign that the Red Death was there, but it didn't take a genius to figure out whatever was down there.

Stryker then landed on one of the more secluded areas of the lair. A quick survey made Hiccup determine that this was the Night Fury's refuge back when he was still serving the Red Death.

Then... _It_ showed up.

Or more accurately, its head slowly rose from the foggy depths of the volcano. It was uglier than Hiccup could've imagined as he felt himself become sick by just looking at it.

 _ **[MY SUBJECTS]**_

The _monster_ didn't speak it, but Hiccup heard it. He shivered as the words continued to echo through his mind. Compared to his earlier encounter with the Red Death through Kickstarter's mind, this was ten times scarier.

" _ **Our Queen..."**_ All the dragons present moaned in a uniform tone. There was no emotion behind it, no life in their words. Not even fear.

 _ **[YOU HAVE DONE WELL IN GATHERING SUSTENANCE FOR ME]**_

Hiccup shivered once more, and he was sure Stryker did as well.

 _ **[BUT I STILL... HUNGERRRRRRRRRRR]**_

Perhaps it was Hiccup's imagination, but he felt as though the entire place shook.

" **The next flock of dragons have already left to gather more food."** A Monstrous Nightmare spoke up, bowing its head.

The monster's six eyes locked onto the lone dragon that spoke up and, quicker than what one would expect out of a creature its size, snapped at the dragon. The Monstrous Nightmare didn't even get to scream as its life was easily snuffed out.

 ***Crunch* *Crunch* *Crunch***

Hiccup felt his stomach churn as he listened to the sounds of the Red Death's mouth chew through the poor dragon's flesh and bones. He swallowed down the bile that threatened to leave his mouth, noting the rather acidic feel as it went down his throat.

" **BETTER..."** The Red Death's voice echoed throughout the volcano as it sunk down to the depths.

Hiccup let out a quiet sigh of relief. He then looked down at Stryker. "We need to leave. Now." He whispered to the Night Fury.

It was then at that moment did Stryker let out a panicked gasp for air before Hiccup felt a tugging sensation to his Connection.

"Toothless...!" Hiccup's left eye lit up and he then became aware of the Red Death's oppressive Connection.

Which was a bad thing... A _really_ bad thing.

" **OH?"** The monster's enormous head rose up once more, sniffing at the air. **"MY NIGHT FURY HAS RETURNED... AND HE HAS BROUGHT SOMETHING TO ME."**

" _Shit._ " Hiccup cursed in modern English as heads, more importantly the Red Death's head, started to turn to their direction.

" **WE FINALLY MEET, LITTLE MONARCH."**

The fact that it spoke in an elated tone made Hiccup even more terrified.

* * *

 **A/n: I know some of ya'll gonna be mad because some of the parts are half-assed, I really do, and I accept full responsibility for it. I just wanted to get this chapter done(which isn't a good excuse, I know). This chapter will be accompanied with a longer author's note so do please pay attention. That's about it for now, fav, follow, and review(I sound like a sellout).**


	18. You rise, only to fall

**A/n: To all the people who took the time to provide feedback to my dilemma, I thank you! Your wonderful reviews really did motivate me so much that I went to work as quickly as I could and I found myself an active Beta Reader! Say hello to** **PaperGirlInAPaperTown! She has been quite the boon to my writing as she managed to find all the spelling, punctuation, and grammar errors, and also give some very helpful tips in writing! Anyway, let me know what you think! As always, I love you guys(no homo of course) and I hope you all have a good one and continue to enjoy the stories I write for you! Onwards to the story! Oh, and before I let you guys go and read... You didn't think I could do it, did you?**

* * *

" **WE FINALLY MEET, LITTLE MONARCH."**

Hiccup shuddered as the words seemed to echo inside his head. "Yes... we have." He tried to keep a calm voice, but the feeling of dread left it shaky.

The Red Death sniffed the air once more before letting out a rumble. That really was the only way he could describe it. **"YOU SMELL...** _ **DELICIOUS**_ **."**

There once was a point in his previous life as Henry when he had fantasized about a time when a girl would say that to him. Well, he wouldn't really consider the monster before him as a girl, but the fact that it technically is female is a rather disturbing thing. He wished he never heard that. Why mention this? No reason.

"Get ready to flee at the first sign of it making a move." Hiccup whispered as quiet as he could to Stryker, who only gave him a weak nod in reply.

Unfortunately, he seemed to have forgotten that dragons, especially ones the size of those large Viking stone totems outside of Berk, have better hearing and could pick up what he just said.

" **WHY LEAVE? WHEN YOU CAN** _ **STAY!**_ **"** The Red Death roared, malicious intent dripping with each word.

Stryker, taking that as his cue, lunged forward and took to the air before the Tyrant's jaws could snap at them.

The Red Death, sensing that it failed to catch its prey, let out a loud and angry roar. It wasn't even coherent; just a terrible, bestial roar that sent every dragon in the Nest to action, taking to the air and towards the narrow opening that was the mouth of the volcano.

This proved to be an obstacle in both Hiccup and Stryker's escape. There were so many dragons trying to get away that it created a congestion that forced the two to be constantly bumping into and pushing against each other. Stryker found it hard to manoeuvre through them, while Hiccup was finding it difficult to keep himself on the Night Fury's back.

However, it seemed as though luck was not on the boy's side as Murphy's Law came to bite him in the ass.

The wing of a Monstrous Nightmare was all it took to knock Hiccup off balance. Then, as if the Gods thought that wasn't enough, the safety cord suddenly unhooked _again_. With his lifeline gone, and being too shocked by being hit with a Monstrous Nightmare's wing, Hiccup fell off Stryker's back. As his descent registered in his brain, he screamed as loud as he could.

The Red Death caught sight of the human falling towards it. It moved its body upwards to catch the falling human into its salivating maw.

Stryker, hearing the human's scream and noticing that he felt lighter, turned back to see the human's falling form. **"Human!"** He screeched as he dove down with outstretched paws in a vain attempt to reach the human. **"Damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it!"** He couldn't afford for the human to die now. He was instrumental to the Night Fury's success!

As Hiccup was meters away from death, two things happened at once.

 ***SNAP!* "Urk!"**

Hiccup's descent came to an abrupt stop. Not because he fell into the monster's mouth, but because the scruff of his tunic had been caught by a certain dragon. "Trick? Treat?" He gasped.

The Zippleback's other head grunted in pain before the one holding the human threw him upwards. _**"Catch!"**_

Kickstarter managed to catch the human with his talons. **"Got him!"**

" **Our Leader!"** Trick roared.  
 **"We will have to disobey your order this time."** Treat added in a solemn and resigned tone as the two-headed dragon was dragged down, their tail caught in the Tyrant's jaws.

"No..." Hiccup's eyes widened in horror, his heart racing faster as he realized what kind of fate will befall the Zippleback. He struggled against Kickstarter's grip in a vain attempt to at least do _something_ as the Red Death prepared for one final bite. "No, wait! Please!"

 ***Crunch!*** Just like that, the loyal Zippleback's life was snuffed out right before Hiccup's eyes. It was not even a clean bite; the top half of the dragon had been snapped off by the powerful bite from torso to head. The remains of the dragon fell down to the mist below the Red Death.

"Ah..." It was subtle, almost non-existant. Then, pain. Agonizing, hot, excruciating pain shot through Hiccup. He cried out as his mind seemed to tear itself apart.

Kickstarter managed to deposit the screaming human on Stryker's back. **"What's happening to him?!"** The dragon yelled as the human continued to scream in pain.

" **Hey, human!"** Stryker called out to him. Hiccup only continued to scream. They didn't have long as the Tyrant once more attempted to reach them.

" **Calm him down! I'll keep the Tyrant busy!"** Kickstarter dove down and fired a blast at the Tyrant's face.

" **YOU DARE?!"** The Red Death screeched in fury, deciding to focus on the traitorous dragon first.

" **Come on, human...!"** Stryker hissed, beating his wings to stay afloat. He noticed that the human had stopped screaming.

 **-0-**

Hiccup found himself stuck in an abyss. Just... inky, darkness as far as he could see. "T-Toothless?" He meekly called out, looking around to see if there was anything other than—

 _ **[We're all going to die...]**_

"Agh!" A sharp pain momentarily pierced his head. "What...?" He had no time to figure out what happened as another one assaulted him.

 _ **[What about our young?]**_

 _ **[They will die as well...]**_

"No... No, I can—I can fix this!" he cried out to the voices. Though whether he was trying to reassure them or himself, Hiccup couldn't be sure. Red splotches appeared in his vision, corresponding its timing with each sorrowful voice.

 _ **[The Tyrant's wrath will spare none]**_

 _ **[It's because of them, we will die.]**_

 _ **[If it wasn't for them...]**_

 _ **[My young ones! What will happen to them?!]**_

The voices multiplied by the hundreds, as well as the red splotches to the point where Hiccup's vision was filled with _RED_. The pain grew worse, and worse and worse and worse and worse and worse and worse and worse and—

"No, stop it! I can fix this! Just stop this! STOP IT!"

" _ **Hiccup!"**_

 **-0-**

"Gah!" Hiccup's consciousness returned to the volcano's insides. "What...?"

" **Hey, Hiccup!"** Stryker's voice called out to the human, relieved that he managed to snap him out of whatever stupor he was put in.

"Stryker? What... Where—?"

" **No time! Kickstarter's almost out of breath and we need to get out of here!"** Stryker exclaimed.

Hiccup looked down to see that the Monstrous Nightmare was flying around the Red Death, narrowly avoiding each bite. It was then that he spotted another thing below them...

Cowering young dragons. They were all huddled in a corner and too frightened to move. They were stuck. They will die...

Hiccup's eyes narrowed in anger at the Red Death. "Stryker, prepare to fire a full blast. Aim for that monster's face," he said.

" **What?! Are you crazy?!"**

"Do it now!" Hiccup demanded, his left eye flaring to life with a green, ethereal flame.

Stryker felt the mental command, and instead of resisting, he took a deep breath, feeling the fire well up in his throat before unleashing it towards the Tyrant.

 ***BAM!* "GRAAAAAAAAH!"**

The entire structure shook as the titanic dragon screamed in pain. The Red Death turned its attention to the dragon and its rider above it. **"YOOOUUUUUUUU!"**

 _[Kickstarter, I order you to save those dragons!]_ Hiccup sent the mental command to the Monstrous Nightmare.

Kickstarter managed to spot the cowering dragons and headed towards them. _**[Got it!]**_

The Red Death caught sight of the Monstrous Nightmare, but chose to ignore the dragon in favour of the Night Fury and the human above it. **"YOU** _ **DARE**_ **STRIKE ME?!"**

"I _fucking_ dare!" Hiccup yelled back with anger. "And what the hell are you gonna do about it, you stupid reptile?!"

That did it. The Red Death let out another earth-shattering roar, fully encompassed in its rage.

"Let's lead it outside, Stryker," Hiccup commanded. Stryker complied and flew towards the nearest exit he could find.

" **YOU ARE** _ **NOT**_ **GETTING AWAY!"** The Red Death roared with seething anger. There was only one way it could chase after them.

Placing its massive paws on the side of the structure, it started to push forwards. Then, using its gargantuan and very hard crown-shaped head, it slammed on the walls repeatedly. The abused wall cracked from the amount of force it was bearing the brunt of, and bits and pieces of it started to fall away. They then finally crumbled to give the titanic dragon the capability to stand on all four of its limbs. With its newfound mobility, the Red Death had an easier time forcing its way out of the crumbling volcano that once served as its lair.

" **I'M COMING FOR YOU, LITTLE MONARCH."**

 **-0-**

All the while, the Monstrous Nightmare had remained behind within the crumbling volcano, determined to see the one order bestowed upon him through.

" **Alright, little ones! Don't be afraid!"** Kickstarter told the young dragons while also cursing his inability to handle hatchlings.

As a matter of fact, hardly any dragon that hadn't formed mating bonds and borne a hatchling knew anything about taking care of them. But he was not about to let that stop him now.

The younglings whimpered, fearful for their lives as the entire place shook and crumbled. Kickstarter was quick to placate them. **"Don't worry. I'm right here, and as long as I'm here, nothing bad's gonna happen to you!"** He then looked around. **"Okay... there must be an exit around here, if I remember correctly."** He then noticed a pathway that he recognized. He gestured for the little ones to follow him. **"Come on!"** He urged which was all the encouragement they needed.

" **I hope Hiccup and Stryker can deal with the Tyrant..."**

 **-0-**

" **That was crazy!"** Stryker exclaimed as they finally got out of the Nest.

Hiccup remained silent, staring at the foot of the volcano, out of which he expected the Red Death to come bursting. His eyes showed only focus, not even heeding the Night Fury's words. His lips formed a scowl and his brows were fixated into a glare, showing his contempt.

" **Hey! Are you listening?!"**

"Be quiet!" Hiccup hissed in reply.

 ***CRACK* *CRACK *CRUMBLE* "GRAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"**

The Red Death _burst_ out of the mountain and onto the pebble beach of the island. It had been so long since it last stepped outside its lair. It looked up, noticing the large masses of dragons that crowded the air, each and every one of them sending waves of fear through the Connection. It attempted to take of hold of their Connection once more to command them to—

 ***PEW!* *BAM!* "ARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHH!"** The Red Death screamed in pain as a blast from the Night Fury struck it on the head, knocking out its concentration. It stumbled backwards before glaring at the human and dragon responsible for the attack.

Hiccup was having none of that. "It's just you and me, bastard! Let's settle this!"

The Red Death hissed. **"AMUSING. YOU SAY THAT, YET YOU HIDE BEHIND THE TRAITOROUS NIGHT FURY."**

Perhaps the human's anger was contagious, as Stryker felt his own temper rise. **"I was** _ **never**_ **loyal to you, Tyrant!"**

" **LITTLE WORM!"** Taking a deep breath, it unleashed a large torrent of flames towards the dragon and his rider.

Stryker immediately evaded and started flying circles around the Tyrant. **"How do we do this?!"**

Hiccup already had a plan. "Make it rise to the air. Then the real fight begins." He commanded as they dodged another fiery onslaught.

" **Got it!"** Stryker flew higher into the air before diving back down, heading towards the Tyrant's sides. He then unloaded one more shot at the Tyrant.

" **AGH!"** Being as top-heavy as it was, and knocked off balance by the blast, the Red Death toppled, meeting the ground with an earth-shaking impact. Its anger grew once more as it snarled, **"ENOUGH OF THIS!"** Willing itself to stand up, it unfurled its massive wings.

"You think that did it?" Hiccup inquired, looking back to see if the Red Death actually took flight

" **INSIGNIFICANT WORMS! I WILL GRIND YOUR BONES TO DUST!"** Flapping its wings, the monster took flight and chased after the two.

" **Mother of Dragons..."** Stryker murmured, completely caught off-guard by the fact that the Tyrant was actually _flying_ and giving chase. He thought it was incapable of flight! **"What now?!"**

"Now we lead," Hiccup replied, urging Stryker's onward. The two of them flew through the sea stacks in an effort to deter the monster's speed, but Hiccup knew it was useless. He was simply egging the monster on.

Just like he predicted, the Tyrant simply bashed away the obstacles in its path, not showing any hints of slowing down. From behind, it could spot the odd coloration of red on Stryker's tail. It chuckled. **"AH, I SEE! THIS IS WHY YOU NEVER RETURNED, STRYKER! HOW HUMILIATING IT MUST BE TO RELY ON A FILTHY HUMAN!"**

Stryker snarled at the taunt. **"I'm going to kill it!"**

"And that's what we'll do." Hiccup looked up to the dark sky. "Okay, Stryker. Time to disappear," he commanded as he angled the Night Fury to ascend. Stryker rose up to the dark clouds, catching on to Hiccup's plan—with the clouds, they would have the advantage!

The Red Death snarled. **"SO THAT'S YOUR PLAN, LITTLE MONARCH? SO BE IT."** It followed, readying another attack.

"Here it comes!" Hiccup warned as he made Stryker evade the flames by swerving to the side.

The Red Death then tried to snap at them, but failed as the two then disappeared into the clouds. **"YOU THINK YOU CAN HIDE?! YOU BELIEVE YOU CAN ESCAPE ME?!"** Its Connection flared to life, allowing it to sense their location, which was right on to—

 ***PEW!* *BAM!*** Stryker fired a plasma blast at the Tyrant's wings, earning him a roar of pain from the monster.

" **YOU WORTHLESS LITTLE—?!"**

 ***PEW* *BAM***

Another shot at its other wing. Stryker hoped to rip apart the wing from the Tyrant's body, but it looked like they were stronger than he thought. **"I'm down to one shot, human."**

"That's all I need," Hiccup stated, his voice unnervingly calm.

" **ENOUGH!"** The Red Death roared furiously. **"ENOUGH, ENOUGH, ENOUGH, ENOUGH, ENOUUUUUUUUUGH!"** The Red Death released a thick spray of fire into the air, spinning around so as to spread its trajectory.

"Watch out!" Hiccup warned as they narrowly avoided the flames.

The artificial tailfin, however, was not as lucky; it caught fire.

"Damn it," Hiccup cursed, seeing the flames eat away at his creation. "Okay, time's up. Let's test our luck once more." He commanded Stryker to dive down.

" **What are we going to do?!"** Stryker shouted, rather frightened that his main source of flight was being destroyed.

"Calm down. I have an idea," Hiccup assured the dragon as they flew down. When they caught sight of the Red Death, Hiccup let out a taunt. "Come on! Is that the best you can do?!"

" **Come and get us!"** Stryker joined in.

The Red Death's eyes widened, rather peeved at the audacity of the two for insulting it. It snapped at them, but missed once again despite the Night Fury losing manoeuvrability. Quickly, they flew past the titanic dragon and towards the earth a few miles below them. The Red Death gave chase to them, unaware that it was playing right into Hiccup's plan.

Part one was complete. A small part of Hiccup dreaded part two.

"Stay with me, Stryker. Just a little bit longer."

" **But the tailfin—!"**

"Can be fixed!" Hiccup yelled. "Don't worry, as soon as this is done, I'll make you a new one! Just concentrate!"

The two of them fell in a straight line, allowing the Red Death an easy target. Its eyes narrowed. **"DIE, LITTLE MONARCH!"** It gathered all the air it could into its throat, in preparation for one final attack.

"I'm not dying today." Hiccup murmured as he waited for it. The audible hiss of gas reached his ears. "Now, Stryker! Fire!"

Stryker complied, turning to face the Red Death. **"Die!"** He fired his last shot into the Tyrant's open maw, igniting the gas welling up inside.

The Red Death's eyes widened as it felt the flames burn it from the inside. It quickly realized that it had been led to a trap as the pebbled beach came into view. It spread out its wings in an attempt to at least slow its descent, but the combination of its rising internal body heat and the speed at which it was going quickly ripped holes into its wings.

"Pull up!" Hiccup commanded which Stryker immediately obeyed and spread out his wings. The boy grunted as he felt the air push against his back.

Before the Red Death crashed to its demise, it let out one final message trough the Connection to Hiccup. **[Looks like you win, little monarch.]**

 ***KA-BOOM!*** The Red Death crashed head first, exploding in a mighty inferno as its life ceased. The dragons watched with widened eyes as the Tyrant died right before them. All of them shared one single thought.

Were they finally free?

However, Hiccup and Stryker were not out of danger yet. As fast as the Night Fury could, he flew up the Tyrant's back to escape the raging inferno rapidly rising up to catch them.

"Come on, come on!" Hiccup pressed his foot down on the pedal to get the prosthetic to move, only to have it break away and fall into the flames below them. "No..." He looked up to see the Red Death's massive mace-like tail in front of them.

Even in death, the monster was still attempting to take their lives.

"This can't be..." He can't believe this. "This shouldn't have happened!" He had no time to brace himself as the tail smashed into them, sending the boy off the Night Fury's back once more.

Stryker whirled around, catching sight of the human's limp form falling towards a certain. **"Human!"** He yelled as he dove down, beating his wings as fast as he could to reach the falling figure. He would no doubt survive the flames; he might also survive falling from this height. But the hu— _Hiccup_ couldn't.

He didn't know why he was doing this. Hiccup's usefulness was over; he had no reason to save the human.

But... he had to try. It was the least he could do to repay his debt, and if there was one thing he'd learned over the course of his life, it was to pay your debts in full.

For a barely conscious Hiccup, the world seemed to slow to a crawl. Or perhaps he was just falling for a long time. Tears leaked out of his eyes as a multitude of thoughts passed through his mind.

' _Why did this happen? Where did I go wrong? I don't wanna die. Not yet. Not again. I don't wanna die...'_

An explosion of pain in his left foot was what claimed the little remains of his strength. But before he lost himself to the darkness, he thought of Trick and Treat.

' _Ah... Trick and Treat... I'm sorry... I couldn't save you...'_

 **-0-**

" **Hrk!..."**

Kickstarter, with his body coated in flames, grunted after a failed attempt of ramming his body against the wall of rocks that blocked his, and the group of hatchlings', exit. **"Okay, so pushing it is not the right way."** He groaned before turning to the group he had rescued. **"Don't worry, younglings. I've got a plan. Can any of you use your breaths?"**

The group of hatchlings shook their heads in denial.

Kickstarter groaned. **"Right... I think I have a few more left in me."** Facing the wall, he took a deep breath before he unleashed a spray of molten fire at the wall of rocks.

As a result, parts of the stone wall melted but not anything substantial.

" **Damn it."** Kickstarter cursed. **"Okay, one more."** He fired again.

 ***BOOM!*** As if blessed by the Mother of Dragons herself, a small opening was forged, letting in light from the outside.

" **Yes!"** Kickstarter exclaimed, the flames coating his body dying down. He fired again at the rocks, making it crumble and crack. Finally he braced himself before proceeding to ram his body against the weakened wall.

 ***BAM!* "Finally!"**

The hatchlings let out squeaks of joy as they rushed out of the opening, eager to be reunited with their parents.

Kickstarter sighed in relief. **"Well, that's done. Now where's..."** He trailed off as he caught the sight of the flames and smoke. His Connection flared out, hoping to see if his leader and Stryker were alright. It didn't take long for him to locate them, but...

One of them was _very_ faint.

" **Hiccup?"** he murmured, wasting no time as he took to the air and rushed towards the site of destruction.

If he wasn't so worried over Hiccup's health, he would've noticed the Connection of every other dragon shift from red to green.

 **-0-**

As the fires begin to fade and the smoke cleared up, the dragons lowered themselves to the pebbled beach. Some of them broke off, sensing that their young were calling out to them. Those that stayed fanned the smoke away with their wings, hoping to find any evidence of life within the rubble.

" **There!"** a Gronckle called out, noticing the shape of the Night Fury.

The dragons converged on the Night Fury's spot. Stryker layed motionless on his side. His wings were wrapped around him, the leather saddle charred beyond use or repair, and whatever was left of the prosthetic tailfin was twisted and broken.

But... he was still breathing.

Stryker groaned, feeling his entire body ache even at the slightest of vibrations. He slowly opened his eyes, greeted with the sight of a blurry and gray landscape. **"I'm... I'm still alive?"**

" **Stryker!"** The sound of his name being called brought him out of his awe from actually surviving the fall. He looked at the dragon that called out his name.

" **Gronckle..."** Stryker recognized this one. Or at least, he thought he did. It was quite hard to think right now.

" **You did it, Stryker! You freed us!"** the Gronckle exclaimed with joy.

Stryker grunted. **"Well... couldn't have done it without this human."** He unfurled his wings, revealing Hiccup to the dragons. Gasps erupted from the crowd.

" **What is a human doing here, Stryker?"** The Gronckle asked, staring at the human apprehensively.

" **He helped me fight the Tyrant... and he also bears the Connection of the Monarchs."** As Stryker said these words, whispers and murmurs were exchanged among the dragons.

" **This human has a Connection?!"**

" **He can connect to us?!"**

" **The Connection of the Kings and Queens!"**

" **Impossible!"**

" **Enough!"** Stryker roared, unconsciously sending a mental command to the dragons.

They grew silent, obeying the command.

Stryker was confused. **"Wait... what?"** A command? By him? But only dragons with a Connection of the Monarchs could do that, and the only one that had it was unconscious in his arms.

" **Hiccup! Stryker! Are you alright?!"** Stryker looked up to see Kickstarter descending. As the Monstrous Nightmare landed, he regarded Stryker with a frantic look. **"Stryker! Where's—!"**

" **Be quiet!"** Stryker snarled, feeling another brief shot of pain. **"Hiccup... he's hurt."**

Kickstarter looked at the human before grimacing. Hiccup looked more than just hurt. His forehead was covered in blood, his body was riddled with scorch marks, and his left foot...

" **Mother of Dragons..."** It looked like it was nearly bitten off. The foot was soaked in blood with holes that indicated a bite. **"Did the Tyrant...?"**

" **No, I... I did that."** Stryker admitted, shame appearing on his face. **"I couldn't—I couldn't reach him in time. I had to grab with the first thing I could."**

Spilling blood was not something Stryker ever hoped to experience. Tasting it was both physically and mentally sickening.

" **We need to get him back to the human village!"** Kickstarter exclaimed, looking back between the crowd of dragons and Hiccup.

" **I don't think the human will make it,"** the Gronckle replied.

" **No!"** Stryker roared in protest. **"He's still alive! His Connection is still active! We can still—!"** Stryker couldn't finish as an even more painful ache jolted his body.

" **Easy, Stryker,"** the Gronckle told the Night Fury. He looked at the human warily. Humans were dangerous creatures and would show no mercy to dragons, whether they be young or old. But...

If this human really did help Stryker free them, then they owed it a debt.

The Gronckle turned to the other dragons. **"This human has helped us be free from the Tyrants. That means we owe it to the human to make sure it lives through this,"** he told them, earning himself sceptical looks from the other dragons. Still, some obeyed and flew off into the mist to look for anything they could use to help both Stryker and the human.

Stryker sighed as he let his body relax. **"To think that I'd actually risk my own life just to help some human,"** he groaned to himself.

" **Said human helped you fly and fulfil the duty you wished to accomplish,"** Kickstarter commented.

" **Shut up. He was the reason I lost it in the first place, and I could've fought the Tyrant on my own,"** Stryker snorted.

Soon, the dragons that had left returned from the fog with a long white sail from one of the human ships that had been lost trying to get close to their Nest. It was a bit ripped, but it would serve its intended purpose—to carry the human and Stryker. Carefully, they placed the sail underneath Stryker and the human in his arms. Four dragons, all of them Gronckles, took one end each and carefully lifted it up in to the air.

Kickstarter also ascended. **"I'll lead; I know a safe place to land on the human island."**

The four dragons followed the Monstrous Nightmare's lead towards the direction of Berk.

 **-0-**

Night time had befallen the island of Berk. Normally this means it's time to sleep. However, at the Cove, two people and three dragons were anything but sleeping.

Or at least, one of them was trying not to sleep.

Fishlegs let out a yawn, indicating his tiredness, but remained diligent as he wrote in his notebook all he could hear from Miss Valka. It had been a difficult task to convince his mother to allow him to stay up so late outside of home. However, the assurance that he would be around Hiccup was enough to allow the Ingerman mother to allow him to stay up late. Although, the fatigue that threatened to close his eyes and lead him off to the Sandman's realm of dreams(not that he knew who that was) did make him question his choice...

But it was _absolutely_ worth it! Miss Valka had a _lot_ to teach about dragons. Things that he never even knew existed; different types of dragons he'd never heard of before (like the Snafflefang Hobblegrunt, Raincutter, Thunderclaw, Seashockers, and many more!), the so-called _Connection_ that every dragon apparently possessed which could be controlled by either a King or a Queen dragon (he didn't even knew dragons had monarchy!); the multitude of ways to approach and calm down wary dragons, and the dragons' intimate mati—

Fishlegs had stopped her there. He wanted to be able to look at dragons without _those_ images popping up in his head, thank you very much.

"And so that concludes our—Fishlegs? Are you alright?"

Valka's voice brought him out of his thoughts. "Ub-gwuh?" was his _oh-so intelligent_ reply.

"Are you alright? You look tired," Valka stated, resting on Cloudjumper's side.

"Uh, a little bit," Fishlegs admitted sheepishly. "What were we talking about?"

"We were just about done. How about you go back home? We'll continue this tomorrow."

He shook his head. "No, no. I can—" A yawn that escaped his lips said otherwise.

"Head home, Fishlegs. I'll wait for Hiccup to return." Valka offered.

"I..." Fishlegs had to admit, it was getting awfully late. "Okay, I guess I'll—!"

He was cut off by the sounds of the frantic flapping of wings followed by something heavy dropping down on the ground. **"I am so glad to see you guys awake!"**

To Fishlegs, that was the sound of a Monstrous Nightmare's roar. To the dragons and Valka, that was the sound of Kickstarter's voice.

" **Kickstarter, what's with the look?"** Invy asked, standing up from her lying position. **"You look like you..."** The Changewing trailed off when she caught the scent of blood.

Blood that smelled awfully like—

" **That's—That's Hiccup's scent!"** Sibel screeched, quickly rushing over to the Monstrous Nightmare.

The four Gronckles that carried the large cloth nestling the injured Stryker and Hiccup gently landed and unravelled the sail. Cloudjumper's eyes widened as he too smelled the scent of blood, and from what he could smell, there was a lot.

" **Oh no..."**

Valka and Fishlegs quickly got to their feet and rushed over to the Night Fury's side. Fishlegs examined the damage on the dragon, but Valka was more concerned about a different person.

"Where's Hiccup?! Where's my son?!"

Stryker withered at the woman's gaze. **"H-Here..."** He unwrapped his wings to reveal the injured boy.

Seeing the multitude of injuries in Hiccup's body, Valka felt something insider her break. Her mind drew a blank, unable—No, unwilling to comprehend the sight before her.

"No... Nononononono!" Valka immediately, yet gently, pried her son out of the Night Fury's arms and into hers. "Please don't do this! Stay with me, please!" Tears rolled down her face, landing onto Hiccup's bloodied and soot-covered face.

Fishlegs eventually managed to get over his shock. "Ms. Valka, we need to get him back to the village."

Valka tightened her hold on Hiccup. "No!" She refused. "They—they'll just say he's dead and leave him! I won't let them take him away from me!"

 _A little babe being casted out in a small wooden box, left to die in the vast sea. A runt—Never gonna make it, they said. Too weak, too small, too... early._

Fishlegs stepped back, becoming afraid of the fierce mother. But if he didn't act now, his friend would die, most likely because of blood-loss. "If we don't get him help soon, he won't make it! Please, Ms. Valka! There won't be any time left if we just stand here and argue!"

Valka didn't want to lose Hiccup— _they'll just leave him, say that he's dead_.

She could heal Hiccup herself— _lost too much blood already, won't make it in time._

But they were _Vikings_. They didn't care about runts.

 _Please... For Hiccup's sake._

Valka stood up with Hiccup being cradled in her arms as gentle as she could. "Let's go," she said before quickly getting on Cloudjumper's back.

"Uh...Right!" Fishlegs frantically looked between Kickstarter and the Changewings. "Anyone wanna offer a ride?"

 **-0-**

 _At the Forge_

Only very few people stay up late at night. Most of them are either watchmen, people who can't find it in them to sleep yet, or people who are interested in looking up the stars(Those kind of people are almost nonexistent, but they _are_ there).

Gobber wasn't one of those people, and everyone knew that.

So anyone who just so happened to be wandering near the Forge would be pleasantly surprised to hear Gobber's voice inside.

"Ach... this is hopeless," Gobber sighed, setting down a piece of paper on the table.

He had holed himself up in Hiccup's little room that the boy had claimed for himself, trying to find out whatever his apprentice had been hiding from him. Now, Gobber wasn't really the nosy type of person (when you're a Viking, it's hard to be subtle), but some things about Hiccup just made him a _little_ bit curious:

Sudden dedication to dragon training, constant disappearances, glimpses of excitement in the boy's face whenever dragon training was over, and overall, a rather dodgy attitude when it came to being asked where he would go. The disappearing into the forest part wasn't really all that surprising for most people. The boy seemed to do it every day. But the length of time that the boy disappeared seemed to have increased the day he started dragon training.

Then there was that time at the watchtower, where Hiccup failed to show up. The others seem to have had an inkling of an idea where Hiccup was—hunting a new species of dragon, what nonsense!

And the latest suspicious activity was the boy's workplace, or tiny sanctuary as he called it. Gobber never really entered it; he liked to respect his apprentice's well-earned privacy, after all. However, seeing these drawings of a dragon that he'd never seen before, that even included measurements of all things while being labelled with runes that he was not quite familiar with, had gotten the half-limbed man thinking. Hiccup was known to be a good liar, but he never really went out his way to harm anybody with that skill (except when it came to pulling pranks with the twins). But...

What could Hiccup be hiding that was so important that the boy crafted his own set of runes to use?

In the end, he found very little information. Said little information was that Hiccup had been studying a certain dragon. A dragon that Gobber had no knowledge of, and that was a big deal considering that _Bork the Bold_ was his great-great-great grandfather. Suddenly, that _'hunting for a new species of dragon'_ wasn't sounding all that far-fetched anymore...

Gobber exited the room, eager to call it a night and go to sleep, before he heard the sounds of frantic footsteps and—

"Help! Anybody?! It's Hiccup! He's hurt!"


	19. All that we start, ends only with us

**A/n: Alright, dear readers! Here you go, the last chapter of this story. I know it was a very long time since the last update, but you know, life gets in the way and some things took precedence more so than others. Now, I could go and list the _numerous_ reasons why I hadn't updated in a long time, but my personal life is the farthest thing you dear readers are interested in so I'm not gonna do that. If anything, I'll leave you with the reason because I felt very drained in those months. Anyway, enough of that! I got someone to give special thanks to! Can you guess who it is?! It's PaperGirlInAPaperTown (or papers, if you like it short)! She helped me bring you this chapter, and it has been a pleasure working with her!**

 **With that done, I would also like to tell you dear readers something else. If you read the entirety of this story, you'd know about the three part chapter "Venture to the Sea of Piracy". Well, consider that retconned (hey look at that, my first retcon). After reading it over multiple times, I might as well die from the cringe. I was too influenced by *cough* _anime_ *cough*, and it seemed too much like I was pandering to my sappy self, and an excuse to use Camicazi's character, so I decided to delete it once I post this chapter. I might reboot it as a separate story in the future, who knows.**

 **Anyway, now that I got all I needed to say out of the way, _ENJOY!_**

* * *

It had been four days since Fishlegs had brought a grievously wounded Hiccup into the village; four days since the news had been revealed to the entire village; four days since Stoick had stayed in his house in favour of watching over Hiccup's recovery; and four days before Fishlegs, along with his friends, had been called over to the Great Hall by Stoick to hear their take on this event.

Standing before the village council with a hundred eyes on him, Fishlegs had never felt true dread before this moment.

"How did this happen?"

Fishlegs shifted nervously under Stoick's scrutinizing gaze, feeling very uncomfortable. He wasn't alone in that thought. The rest of his friends did as well. "C-chief, I can—"

"Can what, lad?" Stoick's sharp tone made Fishlegs realize how short the man's fuse was. He couldn't blame him, though.

"I can explain... all this," Fishlegs meekly stated while making circular motions with his hands, mentally choosing the right words to use for his explanation.

He could never understand how Hiccup could find the courage to talk like a trader in situations like these, let alone trust himself not to become tongue-tied. He didn't exactly know what had happened himself, but it was obvious that it was a rather grizzly event, considering Hiccup's leg needed to be _amputated_ to make sure he lived. He was glad he'd made the decision to make Ms. Valka stay behind at the Cove; otherwise he would've had to deal with a rightfully angry mother.

And if he were to take his own mother for an example, that was something he'd rather _not_ deal with right now.

"Tell me then, lad. How did my son lose his leg?" The tone of Stoick's voice only made Fishlegs more nervous.

"Y-you see, we were out in the forest and—"

"It was the Night Fury!" Fishlegs turned his head as Snotlout shouted.

"... Night Fury?" Stoick growled. Sparing a glance at his expression gave Fishlegs the impression that the man wasn't amused. At all.

"We don't know for sure, Snotlout," Fishlegs said, attempting to shut down the Jorgenson boy as he felt a bead of sweat run down the side of his face. "It could be—"

"What else could've gotten him in that stupid forest?!" Snotlout turned to him with a glare. "We know there's a Night Fury loose in that forest! We should've killed it right from the start!"

Fishlegs looked around and saw the others nodding in agreement. This was bad. If Stoick believed Snotlout's words, then they'd form a search party to hunt down the dragon in vengeance. That would also mean that Ms. Valka and the rest of the dragons in the Cove would be in danger.

As would Hiccup, and Fishlegs himself by association.

Fishlegs opened his mouth to speak. "I—"

" _So_..." Unfortunately, the inquisitive tone in Stoick's voice had killed off whatever words that could have formed on Fishlegs' tongue. "You think there's a Night Fury—a dragon that no one has ever seen before—loose in the forest."

"Chief, we saw it with our own eyes," Snoutlout protested. "Believe me, when Hiccup said he managed to down a Night Fury, none of them believed it either."

Astrid coughed, which was soon followed by the twins imitating her.

"Okay, _I_ didn't believe it either." Snotlout rolled his eyes before continuing. "But it's true! It was black as the night sky, it had those scary green eyes, it was...! Well, it was actually quite small for a dragon."

While Snotlout prattled, Fishlegs delved deeper into his thoughts to form a plan. With the added witnesses of Astrid, Tuffnut, and Ruffnut, the chances of the chief believing them were very likely. Especially if—

"And what about you, Fishlegs? Do you think a Night Fury did this to my son?"

Fishlegs gulped. His options were limited. Whatever he could say to deny what appeared to be an insurmountable fact would only reflect poorly on him, and cause more trouble in the long run. He hoped Hiccup wouldn't take this the wrong way.

"I... Yes, I think the Night Fury did it."

Stoick was silent. It wasn't a contemplative silence, nor was it awkward. Rather, it was a tense silence that felt like hiding from a scary dragon and hoping it didn't find you. After what felt like an eternity, he spoke.

"Gather a search party! We're not stopping until I have that dragon's head on a platter!"

The hall quickly flew abuzz with activity and noise. Vikings shouted and pounded their fists onto the table while others stood up and rushed out the door(presumably to get their weapons).

Fishlegs had never run so fast in his life as he headed towards the forest.

 **-0-**

 _Earlier_

Valka was a patient woman; and patience, as she had learned, could be a powerful tool when used correctly. It was patience that let her gain the trust of even the most apprehensive of dragons. It was patience that revealed to her things that others missed. And it was patience that allowed her to last this long against the power-hungry Drago Bludvist.

Well, that and perseverance, boldness, and quick thinking—but that was beside the point.

But alas, even if she were to allow herself to believe that she had long since abandoned any ties to her humanity (metaphorically speaking, of course), she was still that: human, along with all its many faults.

Temptation—sweet, addictive, delicious temptation. One such temptation right now just so happened to be her precious son, so helpless and miserable in his bed, and guarded by none other than his father—Stoick.

How long had it been since she last saw her husband— that _man's_ —face? How long had it been since she had seen him at all, in her mind and in her dreams?

A long time ago—so long that even the faintest of memories seemed like a dream, a mere construct of her mind.

Unbeknownst to Stoick, she too had been watching. Perched upon the roof of what was once her home, she watched diligently, only stopping when the sun came up. At first light, she would retreat back to the Cove with Cloudjumper. There she waited for a sign. Something to show her that Hiccup still lived.

Four days had passed, and today was perhaps a gift from the gods.

Movement. It was slight, subtle, and almost inconsequential, but it was movement nonetheless. Hiccup had shifted, and _opened his eyes_ before closing them. It was enough to send Stoick to action, carefully standing up and marching out the door with a determined look.

It was when Valka no longer heard the footsteps of Stoick that she too threw herself into action. From one of the open hatches of the roof, she dropped down quietly, and made her way to Hiccup's bed. She stared at her son, watching the slow, heavy rise and fall of his chest. She reached out a hand and gently stroked the sides of his face.

"I'm sorry," she murmured. "I really am. I should've... I don't even know what I should've done, but I know I should've tried to keep you safe. Now look at you." As she talked, Hiccup made no indication he was listening.

Valka turned away from Hiccup and inspected the room. She spotted a weapon rack where a sheathed sword and an interesting looking shield lay unused. There was also a table. What caught her attention were the numerous trinkets sprawled across it in an organized mess; an hourglass (she recognized it as being similar to her own personal one that she kept around), a journal and charcoal pencil, sketches upon sketches of numerous contraptions (some of which appeared to be weapons), and—Valka stifled a gasp. She recognized it immediately. How could she not? It was the stuffed dragon doll that she had made for her son in hopes of having him share her view of dragons, if not at least allow some form of compassion to enter his heart should he ever see dragons in a negative light. She reached out to it and gently took it within her arms, inspecting the wear and tear of its condition, likely to have been caused by age. She could still see the stitched name of her son on both sides of the doll.

"Is this why you befriended them, Hiccup? You thought you could find some form of companionship with dragons because of how people treated you?" Valka asked, though she knew she wouldn't receive a reply.

She shook her head. Valka could think about all of this at a later date when Hiccup was awake. She spied a satchel hanging at the side of the table and took it. Surely, Hiccup would appreciate it. She grabbed all the things she could stuff inside the satchel and hung it on her shoulders before turning to look at her son.

She had made her decision.

 **-0-**

 _At the Forest, With Fishlegs_

Fishlegs had finally reached the Cove, panting and drenched in sweat like a Viking thrown overboard. He took a moment to catch his breath and squeezed through the narrow opening.

"Miss Valka! Are you here?!" He froze in place when he found that there were... a _lot_ of dragons compared to the last time he was there. He found himself stuttering as numerous eyes narrowed down on him. He took a step back, and was about to let out a scream when he heard the sound of large, heavy wing beats and saw Cloudjumper land.

Valka turned to look at him. "Fishlegs? What are you doing here?"

"Wha—?!" Fishlegs fell back. He then noticed something, or rather some _one_ , in Valka's arms. "Is—is that Hiccup? W-why do you have him?"

Valka glanced at the boy in her arms, then stared back at him. Fishlegs couldn't tell what expression the woman had, considering she was wearing her mask. "Take care of yourself, Fishlegs," she said before glancing at Cloudjumper. The Stormcutter nodded before flapping its wings and taking to the sky.

"Wait! What are you doing?!" Fishlegs shouted. The Night Fury roared at the retreating duo before barking at the dragons around him. Then, it sauntered over to what appeared to be a large tattered cloth and laid down on it. Four Gronckles went and picked up the ends of the cloth, and lifted it into the air. "Hey!" Fishlegs called again. "Where are you all going?!"

His words fell on deaf ears as dragons all around took flight, and followed after the four Gronckles that carried the Night Fury. Fishlegs could only stare and wonder what was going to happen next.

 **-0-**

 _With Stryker_

Stryker hissed in discomfort as he tried not to squirm too much. It was already humiliating enough that he had to be carried like a sack of food; he'd rather not cause more problems for the four Gronckles carrying him.

The last four days had been quite hectic for the Night Fury. After discovering his possession of the Connection of Monarchs, he had been working nonstop to learn everything there was to know about it.

It was a _very_ weird first day for him, though it would explain why he was able to stand up against the Tyrant as many times as he did.

Not to mention there had been the task of convincing the more traditionally minded dragons to _not_ throw a ceremony celebrating his new status, which was harder than it sounded. All of this to establish himself as the next monarch to rule them, alongside the human— _Hiccup_.

Stryker worked without end, and the days quickly went by. He didn't stop, mostly because he needed to secure a form of stability with the other dragons. In the wake of the Tyrant's death, there were many dragons that were still reeling from the effects of their Connection being forcibly controlled, and so he took it upon himself to help those dragons to heal from the ordeal.

But when, after four days, Stryker saw the human, Valka, suddenly take off with Cloudjumper while carrying Hiccup in her arms, he had been rendered shocked. He couldn't let his only way of getting back into the air and fellow ruler be taken away from him.

" **Hey! Where are we going?!"** he barked at the Stormcutter flying ahead of them.

The large dragon looked back. **"Valka and I are going back to the sanctuary. The question is: where are** _ **you**_ **going? You have no reason to follow us."**

Stryker looked away. **"I need that human. I can't fly on my own without him,"** he said, and held his breath as the Stormcutter scrutinized him with a suspicious stare. While it was true, that wasn't the whole reason. For Hiccup served a far greater purpose than just his an aid to his flight. But Stryker preferred to keep that information to himself.

Cloudjumper stared at him. Stryker gulped nervously, but told the Gronckles carrying him to follow the Stormcutter nonetheless. He heard Cloudjumper snort, muttering something he couldn't quite hear. The dragons, and human, continued their flight in silence afterwards.

Later, the dragons arrived at a frozen wasteland. There was no sign of land as it was covered by a thick, icy mist. Due to being carried within the confines of a large cloth, his view was limited, so he had to peek his head out a bit to view his surroundings. But when he did, he immediately regretted it, letting out an undignified yelp and huddling closer, as to make him feel somewhat safer. He really wanted to be able to fly right about now, and hoped that the four Gronckles carrying him didn't accidentally drop him.

When Stryker finally calmed somewhat to peek his head out of the cloth again, he saw a large icy mountain with spikes curving upwards. The dragons went inside and suddenly his view was replaced with solid rock that seemed far too smooth to be natural.

They approached a cavern and the cloth that Stryker resided in was placed onto the ground, allowing him to move freely once more. Stryker looked around and saw numerous dragons—some of which he recognized, but most of them were completely new to him. They peered at him curiously, taking in every bit of detail they could make out of him.

Stryker was not too pleased with so many eyes staring at him. He bared his teeth in a snarl at them, causing the dragons to recoil back in surprise, but their curiosity took place again.

Cloudjumper approached him, but he couldn't see the human woman carrying Hiccup anywhere. **"If you and the other dragons are going to stay here, you should follow me. There's someone you should meet."**

Stryker looked back at the dragons that were with him, looking for an answer among them. They nodded reassuringly, and told him to follow the Stormcutter.

Stryker had no idea he was about to come face to face with a King.

 **-0-**

Had Stryker been a less dignified dragon, he would have been seen gawking with his jaw left open at every little detail of the sanctuary before him. That was the right word for it; a sanctuary. A safe and peaceful haven where every dragon that lived there had nothing short of a happy life; a complete contrast to how dragons lived under the Tyrant's rule. It was flowing with both plant life and countless dragons as far as he could see, in that it was almost mythical to the mind, and Stryker was struck with awe as his eyes wandered from left to right to take in every little detail he could find. It was fantastic, it was beautiful, it was—!

Something started gnawing at his tail.

Stryker yelped in surprise, jumping slightly before bringing his tail forward to see a tiny hatchling chewing at it (unsuccessfully, of course). He snorted before flicking his tail to shake the hatchling off, which then immediately scurried off back to its friends.

" **We're here,"** Cloudjumper said, raising a wing to stop Stryker. **"Great King! I have returned!"** the Stormcutter announced. When Stryker turned his gaze on what the larger dragon was looking at, he felt his heart skip a beat.

There, resting upon a large body of water was massive dragon that seemed to rival, perhaps even excel, the Tyrant in size. Its upper body, and most especially its forehead, was adorned with spines; it had two large tusks protruding from the sides of its head; but it didn't seem to have large wings like the Tyrant (not that it lessened the intimidation factor, though).

And that was all Stryker could see from here. Who knew what else the large dragon had in store, hidden by the body of water it was resting on?

The large dragon opened its eyes and slowly rose from the water to turn and look at them, causing Stryker to unconsciously lean back. **"Cloudjumper. Welcome back."** The dragon's voice was loud, but it was gentle and almost soothing, unlike that of the Tyrant, who was grating and invasive with each sound.

Cloudjumper bowed. **"I apologize for being away too long, Great King. We had some complications along the way."**

The large dragon chuckled. **"There is nothing to be sorry about, Cloudjumper. You didn't miss much. Also, how many times have I told you to stop being so stiff all the time with me?"**

Cloudjumper laughed sheepishly. **"Sorry. Old habits."**

The large dragon then turned its attention to Stryker. **"And who have you brought with you? A young Night Fury? I have only ever heard tales of your kind."**

Stryker didn't bow, but he lowered his head in respect at least. **"Gr—Greetings, Great K—King."** He cursed himself for stuttering. **"I am Stryker the Night Fury, a recent bearer of the** _ **Monarch's Connection**_ **."**

The large dragon rumbled. **"A young Night Fury** _ **and**_ **a fellow Monarch? You surely have picked up an interesting dragon, Cloudjumper,"** he said to the Stormcutter.

" **I would like to make a request!"** Stryker shouted, stopping himself from quivering at his bold move. **"I and the dragons that follow me are without a Nest to call our own, and I humbly request that we be allowed to stay in yours!"** He paused a bit as he felt the stares of both Cloudjumper and the large dragon on him. **"We won't be a burden, of course! We could gather food, and we could fight anyone, be it dragon or human!"**

It was all he could offer.

Stryker waited for their response with eyes closed and baited breath while lightly quivering. Then, he felt a wave of calm wash over him through the Connection. His body lost all the tension that had gathered, and he no longer felt his heart pounding in his ears.

" **Young Night Fury, you ask of me to accept you and your dragons in exchange for your service, and yet you quiver at the very thought of servitude,** " the large dragon said, staring down at him. **"Tell me then, how** _ **did**_ **you come to bear your** _ **Connection of the Monarchs**_ **?"**

" **I..."** Stryker gulped heavily. **"** _ **We**_ **were slaves of a Tyrant, Great King. All we have ever known was to attack and hunt food for it."**

" **A despicable act by a disgraceful dragon, but an unfortunate reality,"** the large dragon said, nodding sadly.

" **Through reasons unknown, I was the only one who could stand up against the Tyrant,"** Stryker continued. **"Hailed by the most hapless of dragons as their liberator, I took on my mission to free my fellows. But I could only wait and bide my time, waiting for an opportunity to strike. That time had come, and I somehow gained my** _ **Monarch's Connection**_ **."**

" **Hm,"** the large dragon rumbled in thought, digesting the story Stryker had given it. **"Do you know why I built this sanctuary, young Night Fury?"**

" **To... be your Nest?"** Stryker asked, though he wasn't sure how this related to his request.

" **Not only that, but I built this Sanctuary with the purpose of giving home to the unfortunate,"** the large dragon replied. **"Dragons who were enslaved, not by tyrants, but by humans. Those dragons were scarred, beaten, and broken. But in here, they have a chance to heal. I believe your flock can have a chance here, like the others I have taken in."**

Stryker perked up. **"Does... Does this mean we can stay?"** he asked hopefully.

" **Of course, young Night Fury. For as long as you need."** the large dragon nodded.

" **T-thank you! I—!"**

Two things assaulted his senses at once; a loud scream and his Connection flaring with panic. Stryker wasted no time and rushed towards the source of the scream. When he arrived, he saw the human, Valka, hunched over Hiccup, who looked like he was trying to both get away and hide himself with his arms.

Assuming the worst, Stryker snarled at the human woman. **"What did you do to him?!"**

Valka was startled by his thunderous bellow, quickly turning her head to Stryker, but immediately refocused her gaze to her son. Hiccup turned to look at Stryker, eyes filled with confusion and fear. Then, Hiccup said something that shocked his audience to the core.

"Who are you?"


End file.
